Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced today that Maine, along with eight other states, has sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Nominee Markwaye Mullin seeking confirmation that ICE agents would not be deployed to polling locations during the 2026 election cycle.

Heather Honey, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elections Integrity in the Office of Strategy, Policy & Plans at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Secretaries of State on February 25, 2026, that, “Any mention of ICE at a polling location is simply msinformation.  ICE will not be at any polling location during this election cycle.”

On March 3, 2026, former Secrretary Kristi Noem repeated a similar statement when appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying, “There are no plans to have ICE officers at our polling locations.”

The letter from Secretaries of State asks for written confirmation that the official position of the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary and Secretary-Nominee Mullis is that ICE will not have a presence at poling locations during the 2026 election cycle.

“That we even have to ask for written assurances that the federal government won’t deploy armed agents to the polls is a sad and frightening sign of the times wer’re in,” said Secretary Bellows.  “The Constitution and laws could not be more clear that armed federal agents are prohibited in polling places, but then it would also not be the first unlawful attempt by the administration to interfere with the states’ rights and ability to administer electdions.”

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