AUGUSTA — Federal authorities are now involved in the state’s investigation into claims that hundreds of blank ballots were mailed to a Penobscot County woman’s home last Tuesday, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows confirmed .
Bellows also disclosed that on the same day the Newburgh woman said she received 250 blank ballots in an Amazon package, Ellsworth officials reported that a recent shipment of absentee ballots was missing the same number of ballots.
At a news conference at the State House on Monday, the first day of in-person absentee voting, Bellows declined to discuss specifics about the ongoing investigation but suggested “bad actors” may have tampered with the ballots.
She also stressed that “Maine elections are free, safe and secure.”


