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Troubling discovery on state voter rolls sparks action days before midterms: ‘Should have been fixed’

31 October 2026 at 09:00

A conservative legal group filed an election complaint in Maine Tuesday, alleging that more than 3,000 potentially dead people and hundreds of duplicate registrations were discovered on the state’s voter rolls just days before the pivotal midterm elections.

The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) identified 3,181 potentially dead voters and 693 duplicate registrations, urging the state to take action as Mainers prepare to cast their ballots Tuesday.

"Now we know why they were hiding them because there were problems on them," Adams told Fox News Digital. "They have dead people, they have lots of duplicates and they have general problems. It's something that should have been fixed a long time ago."

The complaint, which was filed with Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, argues election officials have not made a "reasonable effort" to remove ineligible voters from the official list.

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Adams said the state should have discovered the information, not his group.

"Why does it take a third-party group like the Public Interest Legal Foundation to find these duplicates?" Adams said.

The group is asking the state to take "additional corrective action," warning it "may have no other recourse" but to appeal through the complaint process under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), a 2002 election reform law, if nothing is done.

The group compared those findings with its previous investigation in 2025, which found 18,453 potentially dead voters and 1,498 duplicate or triplicate registration records in Maine. The state addressed many of the records identified that year, but PILF said some errors remain while "new problems have arisen."

Several searches were used in the analysis to identify records that shared the same address, first and last names and birth year, as well as typos, punctuation errors, common nicknames and birth-year discrepancies.

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The complaint requests that Maine review the group’s analysis, immediately remove ineligible voters and implement a plan to ensure the state complies with HAVA "now and in the future."

"I hope she gets the job done and removes all these duplicates," Adams said.

Adams said his group has been embroiled in an ongoing legal battle and Bellows has a history of trying to "criminalize" PILF for revealing what they found. PILF sued Maine roughly six years ago over access to the state’s voter rolls and won a federal appeals court case in 2024 that required the state to make the records public.

"There's a history here of Secretary Bellows not wanting the public to know what kind of job she's doing," Adams said.

Adams accused Bellows of focusing on "defending sort of blue theories" rather than keeping Maine's voter lists accurate and up to date.

"Unfortunately, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is not getting the job done," he said.

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One of Adams' biggest concerns is that someone could use a dead person's registration to illegally vote. He said progressive state officials are reluctant to immediately remove dead voters out of fear they could mistakenly remove eligible voters, potentially leaving the door open for fraud.

"The problem is that sometimes people vote for the dead people," he said.

But Adams said he believes Maine has been trying to keep its problems out of the public eye for a long time.

"Maine has a longstanding problem trying to hide public information about whether or not they're doing a good job," he said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Bellows’ office for comment.

The legal filing comes just days before Mainers vote in a critical and tight U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Susan Collins and her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson. The winner could determine the balance of power in the Senate.

Collins accuses top Senate Dem of blocking protections for Maine lobstermen as Cruz vows action

30 October 2026 at 17:30

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, accused a Democratic colleague of obstructing efforts to protect Maine's lobster industry from Biden-era federal regulations, even as the legislation could gain momentum in the Senate next month.

Collins' criticism comes as Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., prepares to visit Maine to hear from lobstermen after previously opposing efforts to extend regulatory relief. Meanwhile, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pledged this week to advance the legislation when Congress returns in November.

"I'm glad that Sen. Cantwell is coming to Maine to finally listen to our lobstermen," Collins told Fox News Digital. "In 2022, Sen. Cantwell worked against the Maine delegation's effort to halt the Biden regulations that threatened lobstermen's livelihoods, and this year she has been blocking the bill to extend the regulatory pause that we secured in 2022."

The legislation, introduced by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., passed the House in September. The bill would extend an existing pause on new federal regulations intended to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale through 2035, giving Maine's lobster industry additional time before potentially costly restrictions take effect.

Cruz's announcement follows a September letter from Collins and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, urging the Senate Commerce Committee to advance the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act.

"This pause is necessary to protect Maine's lobster fishery, which is essential to the state's economy and coastal communities. According to the Maine Lobstermen's Association, the lobster industry supports an estimated $2 billion in annual economic activity and more than 17,500 jobs," the senators wrote.

In a statement, Cruz credited Collins with helping advance the legislation, saying her leadership has been "instrumental" in efforts to protect "Maine's lobstermen from burdensome regulations."

"I hope we can move this bill without changes or further delay to put on President Trump's desk as soon as possible," Cruz added.

Cantwell is expected to attend a listening session with Maine lobstermen alongside Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson at an event hosted by the Maine Lobster Union.

The visit comes amid accusations from Collins and Cruz that Cantwell previously worked against efforts to provide longer-term relief for the state's lobster industry.

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Cantwell and Jackson did not respond to Fox News Digital’s multiple requests for comment.

JACKSON THOMPSON: Maine high school girls ask federal officials to intervene over transgender soccer player

30 October 2026 at 15:34

Two Maine high school girls plan to ask federal officials to intervene over a transgender soccer player’s participation on an opposing team, alleging the state’s eligibility rules have denied them fair competition and hurt their teams’ results.

The player scored or assisted on roughly half of South Portland High School’s goals this season, according to a draft Title IX complaint prepared by Alliance Defending Freedom, provided to OutKick. A scoring chart supplied for the planned complaint credits the athlete with 15 goals and 10 assists.

ADF plans to submit the complaint Monday, Nov. 2, to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on behalf of Reagan Wilson, a junior at Fryeburg Academy, and Morgan Clark, a junior and varsity soccer captain at Windham High School. The draft has not yet been filed.

"Despite all their hard work and discipline, Reagan and Morgan may be denied the thrill of victory because Maine lets males with inherent biological advantages compete on girls’ teams," the draft states.

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"Reagan and Morgan urge OCR to step in, stop this violation of federal law, and protect the right of women and girls to compete on a level playing field."

The complaint would target the Maine Department of Education, Maine Principals’ Association, South Portland School Department and Windham Raymond School District. It asks federal officials to investigate and require changes to eligibility policies, along with remedies for alleged past violations.

The allegations center on a freshman who identifies as female and joined South Portland’s girls’ varsity soccer team this fall.

The supplied chart credits the athlete with three goals in South Portland’s 7-0 season-opening victory over Portland, both goals in a 2-0 win over Gorham and two goals and two assists in a 9-0 victory over Biddeford.

It also lists three assists in a 6-1 win over Noble and a goal in a 4-1 victory over Falmouth.

The chart includes results through South Portland’s Oct. 27 playoff victory and lists an Oct. 30 matchup against Scarborough as upcoming. The source who supplied the document said it would be updated before Monday’s filing if the athlete scores additional playoff goals.

South Portland’s improvement has also drawn attention in local sports coverage. The Portland Press Herald reported that the team finished 2025 with a 3-9-2 record and reached 11-2-2 after winning its first regional quarterfinal in program history Oct. 27.

Wilson’s team lost to South Portland in an Aug. 29 match, according to the draft. Clark’s Windham team played South Portland to a 1-1 tie Oct. 1, a result the complaint alleges lowered Windham’s ranking.

Both girls intend to play varsity soccer next year and expect to face the athlete again, their attorneys say.

Wilson’s experience extends beyond soccer. The draft says she previously competed against a transgender runner who won the 2024 Western Maine Conference cross-country championship. It also alleges her indoor track team’s standing suffered when a transgender athlete won the girls’ pole vault at the 2025 state championships.

The attorneys describe those earlier competitions as evidence that Maine officials knew about the effects of their policies, although those events are not themselves the subject of this complaint.

At the center of the legal challenge is the Maine Principals’ Association’s gender identity participation policy.

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The draft quotes that policy as allowing a transgender student to compete according to either birth sex or gender identity, "but not both." It also cites language stating that "[n]o medical records or official documents shall be requested or required to establish a student’s gender identity."

ADF argues that the policy fails to preserve equal athletic opportunities for female students.

"Under the policy, biological males can win not only in the male category but also in the female category, expanding opportunities for male athletes at the expense of female athletes," the draft states.

Maine officials have defended participation based on gender identity under the Maine Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on that basis. The association previously said it would continue following state law despite Trump’s executive order restricting transgender participation in female sports.

The draft also invokes the Supreme Court’s June ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. , which upheld state restrictions on transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE

The court concluded that Title IX permits eligibility rules based on biological sex. However, it expressly left unresolved the separate question of whether schools may allow transgender athletes to compete on female teams — the issue ADF’s planned complaint seeks to challenge in Maine.

The planned filing follows a dispute that thrust Maine into national attention in early 2025.

After a transgender Greely High School athlete won the girls’ state pole-vault championship, Trump confronted Democratic Gov. Janet Mills at a Feb. 21 White House event and threatened to withhold federal funding unless Maine complied with his sports executive order.

Mills said she would follow state and federal law and told Trump, "See you in court." The Justice Department subsequently sued Maine’s education department in April 2025 over transgender participation in girls’ sports.

The girls are scheduled to speak Monday at a 10 a.m. press conference at the Capitol Building’s Welcome Center in Augusta, alongside ADF, the Independent Council on Women’s Sports and organizers seeking a 2027 referendum on school sports and facilities.

The Protect Girls Sports in Maine committee says it will submit nearly 5,000 additional signatures after its earlier petition fell 532 valid signatures short of qualifying for this year’s ballot.

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The announcement will come one day before Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces Democratic former state Senate President Troy Jackson in Maine’s Senate election.

Collins has supported federal restrictions on transgender participation in female sports. Jackson voted in 2023 to reject proposed state restrictions and answered "No" in an April questionnaire asking whether he supported a transgender sports ban and dismantling other Maine Human Rights Act protections.

Maine, Kansas Senate races neck and neck as Democrats lead in Texas, Michigan, poll shows

29 October 2026 at 14:49

High-profile races that will determine which party controls the Senate for the next two years are extremely tight, according to a new CNN poll, as Maine and Kansas remain close and Democrats extended their leads in Texas and Michigan.

Democrats, who are widely projected to win a majority in the House of Representatives, need to flip four Senate seats from red to blue in order to gain a 51-seat majority, protecting their majority from the vice presidential tiebreaker.

Maine

In Maine, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is the only Republican incumbent running in a state that went for Kamala Harris in 2024.

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Collins' Democratic challenger is Troy Jackson, the former president of the state Senate who jumped into the race as a replacement for the previous nominee, scandal-plagued Graham Platner.

The race has no clear frontrunner, according to the CNN poll, though Jackson holds a marginal lead.

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Forty-nine percent of respondents told the outlet's pollsters they favored Jackson, compared to 45% for Collins. While Jackson is slightly ahead, at least 12.5% of voters say they could still change their minds.

Respondents tied Collins to her party less than any other Republican running for Senate in the nation, with 46% of respondents saying they believe she would choose her constituents over the Republican Party.

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Collins was one of seven Republicans to vote in favor of President Donald Trump's second impeachment in 2021, and she joined Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, as the only Republicans to vote against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's Senate confirmation in 2025.

With Collins managing to distance herself from Trump, her race has largely become a referendum on her own career. Three-quarters of respondents from either party told CNN pollsters that their choice was motivated more by Collins than Jackson.

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Michigan

In Michigan, despite warnings from some mainstream Democrats and the state's Jewish community, Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed is building a lead over former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich.

Respondents favored El-Sayed at 49% compared to the 42% who favored Rogers, according to the poll. CNN's previous poll, released in early September, showed El-Sayed with a 47% share compared to Rogers' 44%, showing the former public health director El-Sayed building on his lead.

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The Democrat has consolidated his party's support after a contentious primary with Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich. Ninty-five percent of likely Democrat voters say they'll punch the ticket for El-Sayed, up from 90% in the September poll.

Rogers voters, meanwhile, are motivated more by dislike for the Democratic candidate than faith in the Republican. 57% told CNN pollsters they were voting against El-Sayed, up from 41% in a previous poll.

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Rogers' favorability has also taken a hit, moving from 58% in September to 50% in October.

Texas

Texas State Rep. James Talarico also built upon a narrow lead over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, despite Talarico's extended absence from the campaign trail in early October.

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Forty-nine percent of likely voters told pollsters they'd vote for Talarico, while 43% said they would vote for Paxton, according to the poll.

Texas, a state that has voted for exactly one new Democratic Senate candidate into office since Lyndon B. Johnson vacated his seat to become vice president, also voted more strongly for Trump in 2024 than in either of his previous elections.

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Despite the typically steadfast support for the GOP in the Lone Star State, Talarico is riding a wave of favorability and minority support to remain in pole position five days before polls close.

CNN's poll says 64% of likely voters of color support Talarico, including 22% of the cohort that voted for Trump in 2024.

Talarico is also leading Paxton in favorability within their own parties. 24% of Republicans have an unfavorable view of Paxton, according to the poll. Just 2% of Democrats, meanwhile, view Talarico unfavorably.

Kansas

In Kansas, a state which Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2024, incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is falling behind Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton.

Forty-nine percent of likely voters say they support Hamilton, 45% say they support Marshall.

Hamilton, a relatively unknown candidate, is far outperforming his own party in a state where Democrats are broadly unfavorable. 57% of voters view the Democratic Party as unfavorable while only 38% of them feel the same about Hamilton.

Like Republicans in Michigan, likely voters in Kansas appear to be more highly motivated by a dislike for one candidate than strong positive feelings for another. 59% of Hamilton backers say they're motivated by opposition to Marshall.

Hamilton, a Christian pastor, is even drawing support from across the aisle. Roughly 12% of Republicans and Republican-leaning likely voters say they support Hamilton, according to the poll.

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CNN conducted its polling via telephone between Oct. 20 and Oct. 27. Registered voters were randomly sampled, according to the outlet. 838 likely voters were considered in Kansas, 783 in Maine, 768 in Michigan and 923 in Texas. CNN tabulated its margins of sampling error at plus or minus 4.5% for Kansas and Maine, 4.7% in Michigan and 4.2% in Texas.

Fox News Digital contacted all eight campaigns for further comment.

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