Bobby Charles, the Republican nominee for governor in Maine, stated he intends to ask the Trump administration to station federal agents at polling locations during the upcoming midterm elections. In audio recorded at a Maine Young Republicans event last Thursday and obtained by the Bangor Daily News, Charles said he would request that White House border czar Tom Homan deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and U.S. Marshals to voting sites.
Charles suggested the presence of these agents would be aimed at undocumented migrants, though it is currently illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal or state elections. The candidate previously served in the Reagan White House and the State Department under George W. Bush before winning the June Republican primary against seven other candidates. He is facing former state House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D) in the general election, which the Cook Political Report currently rates as solidly Democratic.
The Maine Democratic Party described the request as an attempt at voter intimidation and questioned its legality. During a March confirmation hearing, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that ICE officers would only be present at polling sites in response to a "specific threat" rather than for "intimidation" purposes. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security recently noted that elections are for the American people to choose their leaders, not for noncitizens.
If such a request were granted, Maine voters would notice the presence of uniformed ICE officers—who handle immigration and customs enforcement—and U.S. Marshals at their local voting precincts. This change could occur as early as October, as in-person early voting in Maine begins 30 days before the November 3 Election Day. The presence of federal law enforcement at the polls would mark a shift in standard election administration, where local officials typically manage security without federal agent oversight.
The potential for federal deployment could lead to legal challenges regarding the scope of executive authority and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Any formal request would need to be processed through the White House and the Department of Homeland Security. The next major milestone for Maine voters is the start of early voting in October, followed by the general election on November 3. Charles's campaign and the White House have not yet provided further comment on the specific request.