Maine’s secretary of state accuses No Labels of deceiving voters to change their affiliation in a ballot initiative.

Maine Secretary of State Raises Concerns Over No Labels Initiative

“Voter after voter is telling my team that they were instructed that they were merely signing a petition. They were not told they were changing their political party,”

Maine’s Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, has raised concerns over No Labels’s initiative to launch independent tickets across the United States. Bellows claims that the organization misled voters into registering as a third party for the 2024 election. The centrist organization has been working to gain access to ballots across all states to open the doors for a third-party candidate in the presidential elections. No Labels is spending $70 million to launch an independent ticket in the United States. The group has gained momentum in Arizona, Colorado, Alaska, and Oregon.

Complaints from Local Clerks and Voters

Bellows said on Monday that she received “complaints” from local clerks and voters who claim No Labels tricked them into joining the initiative to launch a third-party ballot in all 50 states. Bellows sent a cease-and-desist letter to Nicholas Connors, director of No Labels, as well as letters to every voter that registered with the party last month. She wrote to Connors that her office had “serious concerns” about the “conduct of your campaign” to enroll Maine voters in the No Labels Party for the 2024 election.

Changing Party Enrollment

In the letter to Connors, Bellows said voters told her office that they were approached to sign a “petition” to support the new party, and they did not understand that No Labels was asking Maine voters to “change their party enrollment.” Bellows also called attention to the fact that Maine voters may not know they are currently disaffiliated from their prior party and will be prevented from voting in the primary election of their choice if they remain in the No Labels party.

Possible Change in Party Affiliation

Bellows sent an official letter to voters enrolled in the No Labels Party, alerting them to a possible change in their party affiliation. Bellows warned in the letter that there is a three-month waiting period from the time a voter enrolled in the No Labels party before they can switch to a new party. After that, if someone wishes to enroll in a new party, there is a 15-day waiting period before that enrollment becomes effective. Maine residents who decide to vote absentee weeks ahead of Election Day would have plenty of time to change their party affiliation.

No Labels Responds

No Labels organizers were told to ask voters to join the No Labels Party, and the form that Maine voters signed was titled “Maine voter registration application,” said Matthew Sanderson, counsel to No Labels, in a letter to Bellows. Sanderson said that No Labels had “no objection” to the secretary of state alerting “all 6,456 No Labels enrollees” to let them know of their affiliation. He added the group would be “interested” in knowing if the office finds someone joined unintentionally.

Conclusion

The Washington Examiner reached out to No Labels and Sanderson for comment. For the 2024 election, No Labels is seeking to offer alternative candidates for voters who, polls show, do not want to see another showdown between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Democrats worry that the No Labels initiative will aid a Republican victory. Maine is one of several states that allow only unaffiliated voters to participate in any party primary they choose but do not allow voters who are registered with one party to vote in another’s primary.

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