The Maine assistant of state’s workplace is checking out after 250 empty political election tallies were discovered in a local’s Amazon order recently, claiming misbehavior has actually not been eliminated, while preserving the safety and security of the state’s political election procedure.
The very same day that an unrevealed local reported the peculiar shipment, the community of Ellsworth– 40 miles away– reported 250 missing out on absentee tallies, according to authorities.
Throughout an interview today, Maine Assistant of State Shenna Bellows, that is competing guv, claimed her workplace has actually partnered with the FBI, the United State Post Office and various other state firms to lead the probe.
Maine Assistant of State Shenna Bellows talks at a press conference, Oct. 6, 2025 at the Maine State Home in Augusta.
Patrick Whittle/AP
” This year, it appears that there might have been efforts to disrupt the circulation of tallies and tally products, however we are more powerful and far better than any individual that attempts to do our political elections injury. Over and over again, political election authorities and police increase to fulfill the obstacles we deal with,” Bellows claimed.
” I have complete self-confidence that police will certainly establish that is accountable, and any kind of criminal will certainly be held responsible. We will certainly not quit up until we have solutions,” Bellows included.
A staff hands a tally to a citizen on Political election Day, Nov. 8, 2022, in Lewiston, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
Very early in-person ballot started in Maine on Monday for the Nov. 4 political election, where components will certainly pick a referendum that might tighten up constraints on absentee ballot in the state.
Bellows preserved the safety and security of this political election at journalism meeting.
” Also if one of the most resourceful criminal had the ability to produce Maine tallies or Maine absentee tally envelopes or if that chain of guardianship were damaged, our political elections would certainly continue to be cost-free, secure and safe as a result of the checks and equilibriums in absentee ballot itself,” Bellows claimed at the press conference.
Amazon informed ABC Information in a declaration that the firm is accepting pertinent detectives on the scenario.
” We’re accepting the police examining this event. Based upon our preliminary searchings for, it shows up that this bundle was damaged beyond our gratification and shipment network, and not by an Amazon worker or companion,” an Amazon representative claimed.
Amazon’s preliminary searchings for match the summary shared by the female that obtained the empty tallies initially. She informed authorities that the bundle showed up to have actually been formerly opened up and retaped prior to she obtained it and handed it over to the Newburgh community workplace.
Bellows and Maine’s political elections formerly amassed nationwide interest when she required the elimination of now-President Donald Trump from the state’s governmental key tally in 2024, which was later on reversed by the united state High Court.
