LINCOLNVILLE (Maine) — Maine’s top elections official is worried that No labels unwittingly enrolls voters in their third-party presidential campaign as the well funded centrist organization tries to get on ballots across the country by 2024.
Shenna Bellows, Maine Secretary of State, sent an official letter to each voter registered to the party and a cease-and-desist order to No Labels last month after receiving what she described as numerous complaints from local clerks who claimed that No Labels organizers had misled voters.
Voter after voter tells my team they were told they were signing a petition. Bellows, a Democrat who spoke in an interview on Monday, stated that the voters were not informed they were changing political parties. We have received enough complaints of this nature from both voters and clerks that our office is concerned about the No Labels Party.
No Labels is trying to get on ballot across the country, as it prepares for what could be a formidable third-party campaign. Democrats are worried that their candidate may be a spoiler and help Donald Trump win reelection.
Former Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman, and former Maryland Republican Governor Martin O’Malley are the co-chairs of this well-connected Washington group. Larry Hogan has not yet selected a candidate, but is looking for someone moderate like Sen. Joe Manchin D-W.Va.
Bellows, a Maine voter, said that voters were upset when they were told to sign a petition but in reality they signed a voter registration card enrolling them into the No Labels Party. They would be prevented from taking part in Republican or Democratic primary elections, which are open only to party members or independent voters.
Bellows explained that the issue arose when local clerks received a large number of complaints by voters who were shocked to find out they were registered under No Labels. Her office decided to send a letter, which was unusual for her office, to more than 6,00 voters in the state who were registered with No Labels to inform them of their status and how they could change it if necessary.
In the letter, Bellows asked voters to call or email her office if they felt misled and wanted to change their enrollment. Her office reported that more than 300 people responded.
She sent No Labels a cease-and-desist letter warning that the use of “petition” was “highly misleading”. Its organizers were also told to “affirmatively disclose” to voters their request to change party registration.
Bellows noted that the stories of voters were consistent. Voters reported being approached in public or at home, such as parking lots for supermarkets.
In Maine, new parties must enroll 5,000 registered voters in order to be eligible for the ballot. Bellows stated that the state had not experienced any problems with other third parties operating in the state.
Bellows stated, “We continue to receive complaints by voters.” “We received at least two phone calls this morning.”
Officials from No Labels denied any wrongdoing, and retaliated against Bellows by accusing her unfairly of nefariously targeting them. They also argued that her actions could be equated to voter suppression.
Benjamin Charvis, former NAACP top official and Civil Rights leader who is currently co-chairman of No Labels, said: “This is a targeted action that is unprecedented.” No Labels feels that something is wrong? “Yes, the answer is yes.”
The group claimed it had told its organizers that they should ask voters to sign up for the No Labels Party. They also noted the form the voters signed was titled, “Maine voter application.”
Charvis said, “We hope the secretary of state will refrain from any act of voter intimidation and suppression or unfairly denying ballot access.”
Susan Collins, a moderate Maine Republican and honorary cochair of No Labels said that she was concerned Bellows would unnecessarily alarm voters who had voluntarily registered to No Labels. Collins told a local television station that it was surprising Bellows would go that route.
No Labels faces many challenges, including vocal critics, not only among Democrats in Maine, but also from other quarters.
William Galston, a former Bill Clinton aide, publicly resigned as a founder of No Labels over the presidential campaign. He wrote an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journalwarning that the group would assist Trump or whoever the Republicans nominate to win, much like third-party candidates assisted Trump in 2016 and George W. Bush 2000.
Arizona Democratic Party has sued in order to stop No Labels getting on the ballot of the swing state. The group was accused of violating state laws that govern new parties. Arizona Democrats Executive Director Morgan Dick said, “Arizonans should know…who is behind this shadowy group.”
Officials from No Labels called the lawsuit “undemocratic” and “unscrupulous”.
Maine has consistently voted Democratic since 1992. Maine is only one of two states to split its Electoral College vote by congressional district. One of these districts is very competitive and sided both with Trump in 2016 and 2020.
