Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) issued a bold rebuttal Tuesday to the demand from President Donald Trump's administration for access to Maine’s voter data and election systems records. The Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ) — led by Trump loyalist Harmeet Dhillon — requested extensive voter information and registration procedures.
Democracy Docket reported that at a Tuesday afternoon press briefing in Augusta, Bellows quipped, “The Gulf of Maine is awfully cold, but maybe that’s what the DOJ needs to cool down,” then added: “So here’s my answer to Trump’s DOJ today: Go jump in the Gulf of Maine.”
While the DOJ grounded its request in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act, Bellows highlighted that Article One of the Constitution gives states authority over managing their own elections.
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Bellows labeled the DOJ’s initiative as “an unprecedented and dangerous step and an abuse of power.”
She further hinted that the DOJ — and by extension President Donald Trump — might be attempting to deflect from contentious political headlines.
“The Epstein Files were hot last week,” Bellows said. “I don’t know if this request is to change the conversation, but one could view it that way.”
Maine joins other states — such as New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Wisconsin — that have refused to comply with similar DOJ demands for full voter rolls.
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Over recent months, the DOJ has sent letters to more than a dozen states seeking access to sensitive voter data— including statewide voter registration rolls — to verify compliance with federal voting statutes.
Last week, Maryland and Michigan emerged as the most recent recipients of such requests, with Maryland being asked to provide detailed voter registration information from November 2022 through November 2024, and Michigan receiving an inquiry into its statewide voter rolls and maintenance procedures.