Bobby Charles, the Republican candidate for Maine governor, told a Young Republicans group that he plans to ask President Trump's border czar to station Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and federal marshals at Maine polling places this November. In leaked audio obtained by the Bangor Daily News, Charles said, "I'm going to ask Tom — three or four weeks before the election, maybe three — 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?"

Putting armed federal agents at polling places isn't just intimidating, it's against the law. Federal statutes bar armed officers from voting locations and prohibit federal agents from interfering in elections. Noncitizen voting is already illegal in every state, and research across the political spectrum shows it happens at vanishingly low rates. This plan wouldn't stop fraud, it would scare eligible voters, including naturalized citizens and people of color, away from the ballot box.

Maine has a proud tradition of safe, accessible elections. No candidate for governor should be openly planning to bring federal law enforcement to polling places to intimidate voters, no matter their party. We're calling on Bobby Charles to publicly drop this plan, and on Department of Homeland Security leadership, including border czar Tom Homan, to refuse any request to send ICE agents or marshals to Maine's polling places.

Every eligible voter deserves to cast a ballot without fear. Sign the petition now to stop ICE from showing up at Maine's polls this November.