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Another threat to election officialsAt least four swatting incidents have been aimed at the homes of senior officials who oversee or work to secure elections since December. Separately, a Department of Justice taskforce launched in 2021 has reviewed more than 2,000 allegations of hostility, harassment, abuse, or threats to election officials and staffers, a department spokesperson said. Swatting was featured in a tabletop exercise for election officials in New Jersey last month, a spokesperson for the secretary of state told CNN. Such incidents have prompted The Elections Group, a consulting group led by former election officials, to begin sharing resources on swatting with election workers and incorporating the topic into trainings. A wave of election officials have departed their roles since November 2020, when false claims of a stolen election proliferated.

Persons: Jay Ashcroft, ” Ashcroft, State Jay Ashcroft, Kacen Bayless, ”, Ashcroft, Gabriel Sterling, “, we’ll, Sterling, Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, swatting, ” Jennifer Doebler, Alan Winston Filion, Filion “, Filion, Jennifer Doebler, Lauren R, Shapiro, Republican Sen, Rick Scott of, Scott’s, Sen, Rick Scott swatting, “ Sir, there’s, “ It’s, Swatting, State Shenna Bellows, Bellows, Donald Trump, Trump, Ashcroft’s, Joe Biden, Tina Barton, ” Barton Organizations: CNN, Missouri’s, Republican, State, Kansas City Star, TNS, Getty, FBI, of Justice, Local, Sandy, John Jay College of Criminal, swatting, ”, Naples Police, “, Trump, Elections, Commission Locations: Jefferson City , Missouri, Missouri, Maine , Georgia, Virginia, Sterling, Britain, Sandy Springs, Kansas, Tennessee, California, Rick Scott of Florida, Naples , Florida, Naples, New Jersey, Georgia, Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The state of Maine's long-cherished reputation for political independence is being threatened by the nation's polarized politics, with more and more of its voters feeling pressured to take sides. So-called independents, or unenrolled voters, have gone from the state's largest voting bloc to trailing both major parties in just four years. Republicans, too, overtook unenrolled voters two years later. As of last month, a tally of active voters indicated there were 343,488 Democratic voters, 279,936 Republican voters and 273,298 unenrolled voters. The economist served in the Maine Senate as an independent, and remains active on political issues.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Trump, Haley, ”, Zach Azem, — “, Sen, Angus King, Arizona’s Kyrsten, Vermont's Bernie Sanders, Jill Goldthwait, unenrolled, “, —, Paul LePage, Donald Trump, Mark Brewer, Brewer, they'll, State Shenna Bellows, Richard Woodbury, “ I’m, ” Woodbury, David Sharp, @David_Sharp_AP Organizations: New, New Hampshire GOP, Democratic, AP VoteCast, GOP, University of New Hampshire Survey, Republicans, Democratic Party, Republican, University of Maine, Trump, Congressional, State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Maine Senate Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, New Hampshire, Bar, District, Yarmouth

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled that Maine must release its voter list to a conservative-backed group that’s conducting independent audits, concluding that state restrictions on distributing the list violated the National Voter Registration Act. The Public Interest Legal Foundation sued Maine over its decision to prevent the wholesale release of voter registration lists without restrictions, such as prohibiting the information from being published online. Organization spokesperson Lauren Bowman said the group sued to ensure its researchers can compare voter rolls in one state against those in another and that it had no intention of publishing the rolls. State election officials and privacy advocates have raised alarms about a push by several conservative groups to access state voter rolls, fearing that the lists could be used to intimidate voters or cancel registrations. “We will do everything in our power in accordance with the law and court decision to protect voter information from abuse," Bellows said.

Persons: Lauren Bowman, J, Christian Adams, State Shenna Bellows, “, ”, Bellows Organizations: —, Legal Foundation, Maine, 1st U.S, Circuit, ”, State, Democrat, New York Citizens Audit, Interest Legal Foundation Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, Boston, ” Maine, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, State, New York, . Maine

☆ Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley targeted in swatting incident
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"It was determined to be a hoax ... Nikki Haley is not on the island and her son is with her." Law enforcement agencies have not publicly identified a suspect in the Haley case or in other high-profile swatting cases. Reuters has documented at least 27 swatting incidents of politicians, prosecutors, election officials and judges since November 2023, ranging from Georgia Republican state officials to hoaxes this month against Democrat Joe Biden's residence at the White House. Senator Rick Scott on Dec. 27, weeks after he endorsed Trump, according to records from the Naples Police Department. A caller identifying himself as "Jamal" also targeted Georgia Republican state senator John Albers on Dec. 26, according to an incident report from the Roswell Police Department.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Trump, State Shenna Bellows, Marjorie Taylor Greene, swatting, Haley, Craig Harris, Kiawah, Harris, Joe Biden's, Jamal, Rick Scott, Scott wasn't, John Albers, State Jay Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Scott, Albers, Gabriel Sterling, Sterling Organizations: Grappone, Authorities, South, Republican, Reuters, State, Trump, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Georgia Republican, White, Republican U.S, Naples Police Department, Police Department, Roswell Police Department, Missouri, Jefferson City Police Department, Atlanta Locations: Concord , New Hampshire, South Carolina, U.S, Maine, Kiawah, South Carolina's, Iowa, New Hampshire, Georgia, Florida, Naples, Missouri

☆ Maine Secretary of State to Appeal Ruling on Her Decision to Exclude Trump From Ballot
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jenna Russell | More About Jenna Russell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Maine’s top election official said on Friday she intends to appeal the ruling by a state Superior Court judge this week that placed on hold her decision to exclude former President Donald J. Trump from the state’s Republican primary ballot. In a statement, the official, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, said she welcomed the guidance of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to hear arguments on a similar case on Feb. 8. But in the meantime, she said, she will seek the input of Maine’s highest court. “I know both the constitutional and state authority questions are of grave concern to many,” Ms. Bellows wrote in a short statement on Friday. The 14th Amendment disqualifies government officials who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding office.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, State Shenna Bellows, “, ” Ms, Bellows, Ms Organizations: Court, Republican, State, U.S, Supreme, State Legislature, Capitol Locations: Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine judge on Wednesday paused an election official’s decision on former President Donald Trump’s ballot status to allow time for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on a similar case in Colorado. Trump’s lawyers appealed in state court when Secretary of State Shenna Bellows removed the Republican front-runner from the presidential primary ballot but then asked the judge to pause proceedings to allow the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the Colorado case, which could render the lawsuit moot. She became the first election official to ban Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesBellows, a Democrat, delayed implementation of her decision pending the outcome of the court cases. The U.S. Supreme Court scheduled arguments for Feb. 8.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, State Shenna Bellows, Michaela Murphy, Bellows, “, Trump, Democrat Joe Biden Organizations: U.S, Supreme, State, Republican, Trump, Constitution, U.S . Capitol, Capitol, Democrat Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, Colorado, U.S

☆ Federal judge overseeing election case against Trump was victim of swatting incident
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | Avery Lotz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The federal judge overseeing the election subversion case against former President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, was the victim of a swatting call on her home late Sunday night, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The source told CNN that a male caller said he had shot his girlfriend and would kill himself. The address the caller provided on the call was federal Judge Tanya Chutkan’s. CNN reported in August that security for Chutkan was increased in the days after Trump’s indictment in the election subversion case in DC and the judge was assigned the case. The federal election interference case is a result of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into alleged efforts by the former president and his allies to overturn the 2020 election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Tanya Chutkan’s, Jack Smith’s, Trump, Chutkan, Trump doesn’t, State Shenna Bellows, Florida GOP Sen, Rick Scott’s, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Organizations: CNN, DC Metropolitan Police Department, Chutkan, State, Florida GOP, Republican Locations: Washington ,, Texas, Maine, Florida, Rick Scott’s Naples, Rome , Georgia

Citing civic duty and a quest to return the community to normal life, Lewiston residents turned out to vote in several high-profile referendums and local races. Lewiston voters were choosing a mayor and filling seven city council and eight school board seats. On Tuesday, police were on hand to put voters and 140 election workers at ease amid threats. Some election workers stayed home, either out of safety concerns or to focus on mourning, City Clerk Kathy Montejo said. At polling places, election wardens wore light blue shirts emblazoned with “Lewiston Strong” and a blue heart was at each of the tables where voters checked in.

Persons: we’ve, ”, James Scribner, Jon Connor, Connor, Kathy Montejo, ” Montejo, It’s, State Shenna Bellows, Lori Hallett, “ I’m, ” Scribner Organizations: Marine, Lewiston Strong, “, State Locations: LEWISTON , Maine, New England, Lewiston

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