Small Maine town may have violated state law by asking voters for ID

Election workers in Linneus reportedly asked voters in the small Aroostook County town to show identification before casting a ballot, in violation of Maine law.

Residents and couple Tessa Flannery and Jon McQuarrie said in interviews with the Bangor Daily News that they encountered signs posted to the door of the polling station inside the Linneus Town Office instructing them to have their ID ready. When they approached tables to receive their ballot, poll workers asked them to present identification, they said.

"They asked for my ID before even opening the papers to look for my name," Flannery said. "I think some folks would have left if asked, and I am sure it would be intimidating to some people."

Nikki Siltz, the election clerk in Linneus, confirmed that poll workers were asking voters for identification but were not turning them away if they declined and were registered to vote. Flannery showed her ID, but McQuarrie did not. Both were allowed to vote, they said.

The reports come as petitioners have blanketed polling stations across the state to gather signatures for a Maine voter ID law, which would require registered voters to present identification in order to receive their ballot. Emily Cook, a spokesperson for Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, said her office was investigating the matter in Linneus.

"As described, that is not how Maine law works," she said.

Linneus, a rural town of about 900 people, has registered at least 25 new voters Tuesday, in keeping with what appears to be a record-breaking voter turnout across Maine. Due to the number of unfamiliar faces and new voters, clerks have been asking everyone to show their ID, Siltz said.

"If we don't know who you are, the ballot clerks are asking for it," Siltz said. "We are a small town, and if we don't recognize you, we are asking for ID. If they don't show it, we are not stopping them from voting."

Proof of residency is only required in Maine when registering to vote . Three dozen states have laws requiring or requesting voters show a form of identification at the polls, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures .

Flannery and McQuarrie said they registered to vote in Linneus in 2021, after they moved from Houlton and bought a farm.

The town overwhelmingly voted for former president Donald Trump in the most recent presidential election in 2020, winning 411 of the 512 cast in Linneus that year. Trump is back on the ballot this year after narrowly losing the election four years ago to Joe Biden.