Why This Petition Matters

Lewiston residents are currently witnessing a disturbing situation involving Ward 5 Councilor-Elect Iman Osman, whose listed residence — 210 Blake Street — was condemned following a drug raid and deemed uninhabitable in October 2024. Despite this, he was:

1. appointed to the School Committee by Mayor Carl Sheline;

2. Remain registered to vote at the condemned address by our Municipal Registrar of Voters,  Kathy Montejo ;

3. allowed to run for and win a City Council seat despite residency questions,  also with the assistance of City Clerk & Registrar, Kathy Montejo;

  **all while refusing to disclose a valid current address.**

We believe our election integrity matters in Lewiston, Maine and is being threatened with this unprecedented behavior 

 “What Kathy Did” (or didn’t do..)

Kathy Montejo is the City Clerk and Registrar of Voters for Lewiston. As Registrar, she is responsible for verifying voter eligibility, maintaining accurate voter registration records, and ensuring that all candidates meet residency and domicile requirements under Maine law and the Lewiston City Charter. Despite 210 Blake Street being a condemned and uninhabitable property, the Registrar accepted or continued to allow a voter registration for Iman Osman at that address. This registration was used as the basis for his eligibility as a candidate for Ward 5 City Council and for his continued service on the School Committee. When credible concerns surfaced about the validity of 210 Blake Street as a legitimate domicile — including news reporting, public condemnation records, and questions raised by residents — the Registrar did not initiate a verification process or take corrective action. She did not update the voter registration, request documentation, or challenge the eligibility as permitted under state law. Under Maine law, the Registrar must ensure that a voter’s residence is their actual fixed and principal home, not merely an address on paper. Under the City Charter, a councilor must be a qualified voter of the ward they represent at the time of filing. By not acting on clear indications that the address was invalid, the Registrar failed to uphold these statutory and charter duties. As a result, a candidate was allowed to run for elected office from a condemned address that did not appear to meet residency or domicile standards. The lack of action undermined public trust in the voter registration process and the integrity of Lewiston’s elections.

In a Highly Irregular Vote: The School Committee Blocked an Investigation Into One of Their Own

After pressure from constituents, the Lewiston School Committee was asked to open a basic, fact-finding investigation into whether member Iman Osman actually lives at the address he claimed — a building that was condemned and deemed uninhabitable. In an extremely unusual move, Osman was allowed to vote on whether to investigate himself, and his former campaign manager, Elizabeth Eames, who also sits on the Committee, voted with him. The motion to investigate failed by a single vote. This is not normal procedure. In most municipalities, public officials recuse themselves when there is a clear conflict of interest — especially when their own eligibility or conduct is under review.

 Allowing the subject of an investigation to vote on whether that investigation proceeds undermines public trust, weakens accountability, and sends the message that political alliances can override transparency.

This moment was a turning point for many residents who simply want a fair process and honest representation.

Indictment, Residency Issues, and Leadership Concerns

In December 2025, Lewiston City Councilor-Elect and current School Committee member Iman Osman was indicted by an Androscoggin County Grand Jury on charges of receiving stolen property and theft by unauthorized taking involving firearms. Following the indictment, Mayor Carl Sheline and four members of the School Committee publicly called for Osman to step down, citing the seriousness of the charges and the disruption to public trust Osman’s attorney, Kiernan Majerus-Collins, argues that Osman’s voter registration at the condemned address should still count as his “permanent legal residence,” citing Maine’s “intent to return” standard, despite the building being uninhabitable and closed by city order. This combination of criminal charges, unresolved residency questions, and conflicted oversight votes has raised serious concerns about transparency, eligibility, and ethical governance in Lewiston. What Kathy M. (Registrar of Voters) and the City Council MUST Do Now. The responsibility is now squarely in the hands of the Lewiston Registrar of Voters and the Lewiston City Council. Under Maine law, the Registrar is required to maintain accurate voter rolls, verify residency when credible questions arise, correct registrations tied to condemned or uninhabitable addresses, and initiate challenges when a voter’s domicile is in doubt. None of this happened before or after 210 Blake Street was condemned. Despite a legal obligation to verify that a candidate actually lives at the address they register under, the registration was accepted, left uncorrected, and allowed to be used to file for public office. The City Council, under Charter Sections 2.01, 2.06, and 2.08, is the judge of qualifications for its own members — meaning that once eligibility is questioned, the Council must hold a review, determine whether the member still meets residency requirements, and declare a vacancy if those requirements are not met. This is not optional; it is the mechanism built into the Charter to protect the integrity of Lewiston’s elections. We are calling on the Registrar to finally fulfill her statutory duties and on the City Council to exercise its Charter authority to review residency, enforce qualifications, and restore trust in our electoral process!

 Why Kiernan Majerus-Collins Is Wrong About Maine’s Residency Law

Attorney Kiernan Majerus-Collins is leaning on one line of Maine’s voter-residency statute — the phrase about a voter “intending to return” — but he is applying it in a way that completely ignores the rest of the law. Maine law does not let someone claim a condemned, uninhabitable building as their legal residence simply because they “intend” to go back someday. The statute requires a “fixed and principal home to which the person intends to return.” A condemned structure is not a home. It is not habitable, not accessible as a dwelling, and not legally allowed for occupancy. Case law in Maine has repeatedly reinforced that “intent” is only valid when the living arrangement itself is lawful, continuous, and genuine. You cannot “intend to return” to a location the City of Lewiston has legally deemed unsafe for human habitation. That is not a domicile — that is a fiction. The statute Kiernan cited protects snowbirds, students, military members, and people who are temporarily away from their real home. It does not protect someone living somewhere else entirely while clinging to a condemned address for political advantage. In short: a condemned property cannot be a legal residence under Maine law, and invoking the “intent to return” clause is a misuse of the statute and an evasion of the residency requirement that governs both voter eligibility and elected-office eligibility. 

A Public Official Under Indictment Should Not Be Allowed to Vote on His Own Investigation!!

*Why Your Signature Matters* Lewiston deserves elected officials who actually live in the wards they represent—and who meet the same legal standards as every other voter. When a condemned building becomes a political loophole, when an indicted official votes on whether to investigate his own residency, and when the systems designed to protect election integrity fail, the public must step in.   Sign this petition to demand that Lewiston’s Registrar and City Council enforce the law, apply the Charter, and restore trust in the electoral process. This is not about partisanship—it’s about fairness, transparency, and the basic expectation that our leaders follow the same rules we do.   Your signature tells the City: We are watching, and we expect accountability.

Thank you

Image Courtesy of the Official City of Lewiston Maine Facebook: Lewiston Registrar of Voters (City Clerk) Kathy Montejo & Ward 5 Councilor-Elect Iman Osman.