BIDDEFORD — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins says she doesn’t agree with Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles’ call for federal immigration authorities to be at Maine polls in November.
Collins told assembled media Monday during a visit to Volk Packaging Corporation in Biddeford that she doesn’t “see the need” a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence on Election Day.
“To have ICE presence at polls, I think would intimidate a lot of legitimate American voters,” she said. “I just think it would make them very uncomfortable.”
Charles recently told supporters that he plans to ask the Trump administration to send federal immigration agents to Maine polls, according to an audio recording of his comments first reported by the Bangor Daily News last week.
In the recording, Charles describes Trump border czar Tom Homan as a friend and says, “I’m going to ask Tom … I’m going to make an appeal for ICE and Marshals to be at our voting booths. Do you think the illegals who are being paid money are going to like that?”
Collins said Monday that she has not talked with Charles to understand his rationale.
“The point is that Bobby will do everything legally possible to prevent illegal voting in Maine, to make sure that Maine elections are decided by legal Maine voters,” Charles’ campaign manager, Dale Crafts Jr., said in a written statement Wednesday. “He will seek both state and federal assurances that those casting votes are legal.”
Charles’ comments elicited criticism from Maine Democrats, including Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
Maine law prohibits law enforcement within 250 feet of voting places, with the exception of local law enforcement invited by an election warden, Bellows said last week, and the U.S. Constitution and federal law also prohibit federal law enforcement presence in polling places.
“Bobby Charles can say whatever he wants, but he can’t change the Constitution or federal law,” she said.
Democrat Hannah Pingree, who is facing Charles and independent Rick Bennett in the gubernatorial race, cast his proposal as “deeply disturbing” in a fundraising email, calling it “yet another example that Bobby Charles is too extreme for Maine.”
While Collins said Monday that she does not support ICE presence at Maine polling places, she does believe new voters should be required to show proof of citizenship.
“Only Americans should be voting in American elections,” Collins said.
Maine requires voters to declare they are U.S. citizens and to provide proof of residence but does not ask voters to provide proof of citizenship at the polls.
This is a developing story.