Maine AFL-CIO Statement on Bobby Charles’ Election Intimidation

On August 26, the Associated Press reported that gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles said he would call on White House border czar Tom Homan to deploy ICE agents at Maine polling locations ahead of November's elections. In response, Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney released the following statement:

"In Maine and the United States, voters elect our leaders in free and fair elections. Calling for masked federal agents to be deployed around polling locations is a cynical attempt to intimidate voters. No one should be afraid to show up and exercise their constitutional right to vote, but that's exactly what this is trying to do. Our union movement rejects this desperate political tactic, and we know our democracy is strongest when all of us show up to exercise our democratic rights in peaceful elections free from fear or intimidation."