AUGUSTA – Attorney General Aaron Frey and Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap announced that the State has filed a criminal complaint in the Penobscot Criminal Court against a 19-year-old woman for violating election laws by voting a former roommate’s absentee ballot in the election. Local election officials in Orono discovered the potential violation before any ballot was processed and alerted the Secretary of State’s Office, which immediately relayed the information to the Attorney General’s Office for investigation.
The charges–Voting in the Name of Another and Forging the Name of Another on an Absentee Ballot Return Envelope–are both Class C crimes punishable by up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
“In our many years of experience with elections, we have found that voter fraud in Maine is extremely rare,” said Secretary Dunlap. “My office uses technology, including the Central Voter Registration system, and a network of municipal election officials to prevent fraud and detect it at an early stage to avoid any adverse consequences. Those mechanisms worked extremely well in this instance.”
“We will work closely with the Secretary of State’s Office to ensure the integrity of elections,” said Attorney General Frey. “It is a serious crime in Maine to cast or attempt to cast an illegal vote, either absentee or in person. My Office will vigorously investigate and prosecute any allegations of election fraud.”