A Maine resident was left stunned after discovering 250 unused state election ballots inside an Amazon package intended for household items like coffee, rice, and paper plates. The incident occurred in Newburgh, just days before mail-in voting begins for a state referendum on absentee voting rules.
The woman, who requested anonymity, reported the unusual delivery to local authorities, who transferred the ballots to the Newburgh town clerk’s office. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) confirmed an investigation into how the ballots left the official chain of custody. “Safe and secure elections are my top priority,” Bellows stated. “As soon as we became aware of allegations of ballots being received outside of the appropriate chain of custody, I immediately initiated an investigation through my secretary of state’s law enforcement division.”
The discovery has sparked widespread alarm over election security. Maine House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham called for a federal probe, urging U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate. “The discovery of hundreds of authentic state ballots in a private Amazon delivery is beyond alarming,” Faulkingham said. “When ballots appear in household shipments of rice and toys, trust is shattered.”
The incident has intensified debates over voting regulations, with some linking it to broader concerns about election integrity. A campaign group, Voter ID for ME, criticized the scandal on social media, calling it a “huge” threat to electoral safety. Meanwhile, similar ballot-related issues have emerged elsewhere, including disputed mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania and misleading sample ballots in Rhode Island.
The case has further fueled calls to restrict mail-in voting, with figures like former President Donald J. Trump advocating for bans on electronic voting machines and postal ballots.
