The question of whether or not Boothbay peninsula voters cast ballots in Maine’s First Congressional District may never be answered. Maine’s Secretary of State office has told Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor election officials no review of the ballots will occur.

Both towns have received voter complaints they received a ballot with four candidates for Maine’s Second Congressional district and some voters claimed both the first and second district candidates appeared on their ballots in Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor.

On Nov. 26, the Maine Republican Party requested a state inquiry and released 17 affidavits signed by local voters claiming they voted in the wrong election. But despite requests from the GOP and local voters to review the ballots, both state and local officials say no review will occur.

“Secretary Dunlap would have to give the town permission to open cast ballot materials. He will not be doing so, as we have no evidence of such ballot issues and an out of district ballot cannot actually be cast anyway so it cannot affect the outcome of the election,” Secretary of State Director of Communications Kristen Muszynski wrote in an email.

On Dec. 13, Boothbay Town Manager Dan Bryer relayed the state’s response. Bryer reported the town had forwarded all the complaints it received to the state. “The ballots are sealed and no one but the Secretary of State can review them so no town review will occur,” he said.

Reports about local voters casting ballots for Second District Congressional candidates began around 5 p.m. on Election Night. Rep. Stephanie Hawke supporters gathered at Brady’s in Boothbay Harbor. Several voters stated they hoped Congressman Bruce Poliquin would win and they had voted for him. The Boothbay Register asked why they cast a vote which wouldn’t count because they lived in the first district. The voters all claimed Poliquin’s name and the three other second district candidates had appeared on their ballots.

Around 6 p.m. on Election Night, the Boothbay Register asked Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor election officials if they had received complaints about wrong ballots. Both towns reported no problems. On Nov. 13, the Boothbay Register asked if the Secretary of State's office received complaints about improper ballots, but no reports were made. In a later request, Muszynski explained if a municipality received improper ballots then the tabulator would reject them. “The tabulator would not accept it – it would be incapable of reading it – and would have given an error message on the screen and required the ballot to be returned. Thus, it is not possible for voters in CD1 to actually cast a CD2 ballot even if they somehow mistakenly received one,” she wrote.

But the state’s explanation doesn’t satisfy those voters claiming to have received an improper ballot. Boothbay voter David Warford is a Republican who attended the Election Night party at Brady’s and signed an affidavit. He thinks a ballot inspection would settle all questions about the ballots.

“I’m hoping the state will look into it and make sure my ballot didn’t get thrown out. That’s all I want,” Warford said Dec. 5.

Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Edgecomb are all part of the First Congressional District and Maine legislative district 89. Edgecomb hand counts the ballots and municipal election officals reported no improper ballots.