Federal Prosecutors Review Lewiston Voting Footage as Claims of Election Misconduct Remain Unconfirmed

Federal prosecutors are reviewing security footage from early voting at Lewiston City Hall after allegations that people assisting Somali American voters may have improperly influenced their choices. As of Monday, no official finding had confirmed that interpreters changed or marked ballots illegally.

The video was obtained from City Hall records and publicized by The Maine Wire, a conservative news outlet. The outlet said the footage showed interpreters coaching voters and, in some instances, filling out ballots. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine confirmed that prosecutors were reviewing the footage but did not say whether a formal investigation had been opened.

The controversy has also raised concerns about the treatment of voters at the polling site. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said her office had received complaints about intrusive filming, photography and harassment in Lewiston. City officials posted notices reminding visitors that recording voters within 15 feet is prohibited.

What Maine law says about voter assistance

Maine law allows voters who cannot read or mark a ballot because of a disability, illiteracy or religious faith to ask another person for help. The assistant must follow the voter’s wishes and may not tell the voter how to vote or otherwise influence the voter’s choices.

What officials have and have not confirmed

Bellows has said her office had not received a credible report that an interpreter was engaging in illegal electioneering. Lewiston City Clerk Kathy Montejo also told the Bangor Daily News she was not aware of a federal investigation.

The Justice Department plans to send election monitors to polling locations in Lewiston, Portland and South Portland on Election Day. Their presence is part of the department’s election monitoring program and does not, by itself, establish that misconduct occurred.

For now, the footage is under review, and the allegations involving interpreters remain unconfirmed. The complaints about filming and voter harassment are a separate issue that state officials say they have received and are monitoring.