RNC Files Complaint Over Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows' Refusal to Maintain Accurate Voter Rolls

WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Republican National Committee (RNC) released the following statement after sending a formal complaint to the Department of Justice (DOJ) about Maine’s Democrat Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.

“Despite admitting that non-citizens are registered to vote in Maine’s elections, Shenna Bellows continues to block efforts to clean up the voter rolls,” said RNC Chairman Joe Gruters. “Bellows is undermining Maine's elections and betraying the trust of every Maine voter." 

Background:

• In July, the DOJ requested information from Bellows on how Maine maintains accurate voter rolls as required by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
• Bellows recently refused to comply with that request.
• The NVRA requires each state to make available for inspection “all records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters,” and allows the Attorney General to bring NVRA enforcement actions.
• The limited information provided by Secretary Bellows’ office suggests that Maine is failing to maintain its voter list with any regularity.
• The complaint comes after Bellows recently admitted on far-left lawyer Marc Elias’ podcast that she was “sure” that “some non-citizens” are registered to vote in Maine.
• With assistance from the RNC, the Maine Republican Party also recently found 600 individuals on Maine’s voter rolls who had duplicate registrations and roughly 50 who appeared to have voted twice in an election.
• The RNC formally requested that Secretary Bellows provide records pertaining to Maine’s voter list maintenance system and that the DOJ investigate Maine’s compliance with the NVRA.
• A copy of the RNC’s letter can be found here.

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