A woman in Newburgh, Maine, received an unexpected package from Amazon containing 250 blank election ballots instead of the items she ordered. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, had purchased coffee, rice, and paper plates. Upon opening her delivery this week, she discovered the ballots intended for the upcoming elections, which state officials have confirmed.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is investigating the incident. She stated, "Safe and secure elections are my top priority. 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. Law enforcement is working diligently to determine who is responsible, and they will be held accountable. We will not stop until we have answers."

The woman reported that the package appeared to have been opened and resealed when it arrived. She subsequently turned the ballots over to the Newburgh town office. This incident comes just days before Maine voters can begin voting by mail on a referendum that could impose stricter regulations on absentee voting. Maine has one of the highest voter participation rates in the country.

In response to the situation, Republicans in the state legislature have requested an investigation from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham expressed concern, stating, "The discovery of hundreds of authentic state ballots in a private Amazon delivery is 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. When ballots appear in household shipments of rice and toys, trust is shattered. Mainers deserve answers, accountability, and immediate action."

Alex Titcomb, a leading advocate for the absentee voting referendum, emphasized the need for stricter regulations. He remarked, "This is a stunning breach of election security that no free state can tolerate. Mainers deserve to know how many other ballots are unaccounted for, who is responsible, and whether our elections have already been compromised. This is an appalling breakdown in the chain of custody that makes it impossible for Mainers to have confidence in the integrity of our elections."

The Newburgh town clerk declined to comment on the matter when approached for a statement.