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1h ago

Maine Probes Missing Ballots After 250 Turn Up in Amazon Box

Investigators are examining possible tampering without yet verifying a link to Ellsworth’s missing shipment.

The State House is seen in Augusta, Maine on June 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
Maine Secretery of State Shenna Bellows speaks at a news conference at the Maine State House in Augusta on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle)

Overview

  • Ellsworth reported 250 absentee ballots missing the same day a Newburgh resident said she found 250 bundled ballots inside an Amazon delivery.
  • The secretary of state’s law‑enforcement division is leading a criminal investigation with assistance from the FBI, Maine authorities, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
  • Officials have not confirmed that the ballots discovered in Newburgh are the same as those reported missing from Ellsworth.
  • Amazon said its initial review indicates the package was tampered with outside its fulfillment and delivery network and it is cooperating with the probe.
  • Secretary Shenna Bellows cautioned that ballot distribution may have been targeted and emphasized that existing safeguards keep the Nov. 4 election secure, as Republicans press for a voter ID initiative and a federal inquiry.