Maine law allows interpreters to help voters mark ballots, despite fraud claims

A conservative news outlet claimed footage shows Somali interpreters filling out ballots in a "blatant violation of state law." Published Nov. 3, 2026 The claim that Somali interpreters illegally filled out ballots for voters in Maine during the 2026 midterm election is still under investigation. As of this writing, however, there's no evidence that the claim is true. The rumor stems from a conservative news outlet, The Maine Wire, that published footage it claimed showed Somali interpreters filling out ballots for voters in a "blatant violation of state law." However, Maine law permits interpreters to mark the ballot for voters who cannot due to physical disability, religious faith or illiteracy. A spokesperson for Maine secretary of state's office told Snopes that the office has not received any credible reports of translators engaged in illegal electioneering as of this writing. The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly reviewing the footage Maine Wire obtained. As voters went to the polls for the 2026 midterm elections, social media users claimed that videos circulating online supposedly showed Somali translators in Maine illegally filling out ballots for voters. The claim, which circulated on X and Facebook, as well as via right-leaning publications such as Fox News, originated with a conservative news outlet called The Maine Wire, which has come under fire for filming and allegedly harassing voters in Lewiston. On Oct. 30, The Maine Wire also shared a video it said was Lewiston City Hall surveillance footage from a public records request that showed a "Somali translator" who was "clearly" filling out a ballot "on behalf of her client." "This same 'translator' repeated this process for multiple voters over the course of the day. Blatant violation of state law," the outlet claimed. While the footage appears to show translators possibly marking ballots, there's no evidence as of this writing that the interpreters did anything illegal, nor is it even clear whether the interpreters are Somali. Maine law permits interpreters to mark ballots under certain conditions. A spokesperson for the Maine Secretary of State's office, Jana Spaulding, said in an email to Snopes that as of this writing, the office has not received any credible reports of interpreters engaging in illegal electioneering. We have left this claim unrated because of a lack of evidence. The U.S. Department of Justice said in an Oct. 30 statement that it would send election officers to Maine — specifically, according to the Maine secretary of state's office, to Lewiston and Portland, which both have large Somali populations compared with the rest of the state. President Donald Trump has a history of attacking the Somali community in the U.S. — particularly in Minnesota — with anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric. He has also targeted them in his anti-immigration policies. The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 30 that the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for Maine, Andrew Benson, said his office would review "evidence concerning complaints of voter intimidation and election interference at Lewiston City Hall." We reached out to DOJ for independent verification and updated comment. We await a response. Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, a Democrat, said on Facebook in response to the Maine Wire's actions against interpreters at City Hall that there appears to be a "coordinated campaign of voter intimidation and suppression." Maine law permits interpreters marking ballots Maine election law explicitly allows voters to request help reading and marking their ballots, as long as the person assisting does not influence the voter's choices: §672. Assistance A voter who is unable to read or mark the ballot because of physical disability, illiteracy or religious faith may request another person, other than the voter's employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter's union, to assist the voter in reading the ballot or marking the ballot according to the voter's wishes. When assisting a voter, the aide may not tell the voter how to make the voter's choices or otherwise influence the voter in violation of section 682. The Maine Wire claimed the videos indicate that the interpreters were "coaching" voters. However, it's impossible to tell from the footage whether these interpreters were merely doing their jobs or whether they were providing advice on how to vote. The outlet also accused the interpreters in the footage of "manipulating and even filling out ballots — a clear violation of state law." However, as shown by the language of Maine's election law above, The Maine Wire's claim here is inaccurate. It is also worth noting that the federal Voting Rights Act similarly protects voters' right to assistance when filling out a ballot: Any voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the voter's choice, other than the voter's employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter's union. Sources "52 U.S. Code § 10508 - Voting Assistance for Blind, Disabled or Illiterate Persons." LII / Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/10508. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026."Donald J. Trump: "Minnesota, under Governor Waltz, Is a Hub of Fraudulent Money Laundering Act..." Trump's Truth, 22 Nov. 2025, https://www.trumpstruth.org/statuses/33943."Donald J. Trump: 'RT: Https://Truthsocial.Com/Users/realDonaldTrump/Statuses/115648006871016152.'" Trump's Truth, 2 Dec. 2025, https://www.trumpstruth.org/statuses/35299."Donald J. Trump: "Trump Administration Ends Temporary Protected Status for Thousands of Somali..." Trump's Truth, 19 Jan. 2026, https://www.trumpstruth.org/statuses/34610.Mitovich, Jared. "DOJ Reviewing Election-Interference Complaints in Maine." The Wall Street Journal, Jared Mitovich, https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/midterm-election-news-2026/card/doj-reviewing-election-interference-complaints-in-maine-P7OeTEPfOM6plgHtPBc0.Sheline, Carl. "Mayor Carl Sheline Has Encouraged Residents to Continue Voting and to Report All Instances of Harassment to the City Clerk. ." Facebook, 23 Oct. 2026, https://www.facebook.com/carl.sheline/posts/pfbid017SAB1qTtXmTCgDb5rcUswMdUHJpbsGSc1AMRjxtwthVUMa91DDZznFFCnDPJg1Fl.Title 21-A, §672: Assistance. https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/21-a/title21-Asec672.html. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026." U.S. Attorney Appoints Election Officers to Respond to Election Fraud or Voting Rights Complaints in Maine." Department of Justice , 30 Oct. 2026, https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/us-attorney-appoints-election-officers-respond-election-fraud-or-voting-rights. By Rae Deng Rae Deng specializes in government/politics and is based in Tacoma, Wash. Article Tags