Maine Republicans are demanding a federal investigation after a resident mistakenly received an Amazon package containing 250 voting ballots Tuesday.
The incident occurred just one month before Maine’s Nov. 4 election, when voters will decide on a pivotal initiative that, if passed, would require voter ID at the ballot box, according to the Maine Wire.
Democrat Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said she initiated an investigation as soon as she heard the news.
“We will not stop until we have answers,” Bellows said, according to WABI-TV in Bangor, Maine.
But Republicans weren’t satisfied with her response, demanding that the Department of Justice investigate instead.
“[Bellows] has consistently shown she is willing to put partisanship over the safety and security of Maine elections,” Republicans wrote in a letter addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.
“She has used her office to refuse compliance with the Department of Justice, even going as far as telling President Trump to ‘go jump in the Gulf of Maine’ in response to routine requests for voter registration data requested under the National Voter Registration Act,” the letter read.
The signees included the following Maine Republicans: Sen. Trey Stewart, Sen. Matthew Harrington, Rep. Billy-Bob Faulkingham, and Rep. Katrina Smith.
Shenna Bellows needs to resign. The discovery of 250 official ballots in an Amazon package undermines trust in Maine’s elections. This breach demands accountability now. pic.twitter.com/uXKPsdrMYl
— ???????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????????? (@ViolaLeighBlues) October 1, 2025
The igniting incident occurred Tuesday, when a woman in Newburgh, Maine, received an Amazon package — its unusual taping suggested someone had tampered with it.
Although the parcel contained the items she’d ordered, it also included something she hadn’t.
“When I opened it, there were 250 official State of Maine referendum ballots inside my box. Thank goodness I am an honest citizen and immediately reached out to my town clerk and took the ballots to the town for safekeeping,” the resident said.
Amazon said it was looking into the controversy and would cooperate with authorities during any investigations, according to WABI-TV.
Faulkingham, one of the four who signed the letter to Bondi and Patel, said the incident was “beyond alarming.”
“At a time when Maine people are being asked to weigh in on whether to adopt the same commonsense Voter ID standards used in 36 other states, this shocking breach exposes how vulnerable our elections really are,” Faulkingham said in a statement.
“When ballots appear in household shipments of rice and toys, trust is shattered. Mainers deserve answers, accountability, and immediate action,” he said, according to WABI.
On Nov. 4, Maine residents will vote on Question 1, a referendum that, if passed, would require voters to show identification.
While Republicans say the measure would increase election integrity, Democrats fear it could cost them.
If passed, “it could result in a loss of 13,000 Democratic” votes in future elections, said Maine Democratic Party Chairman Charlie Dingman in a text message to voters in May, according to the Maine Wire.
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