March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Bangor Republican tells of investigation> Improper absentee balloting at iss

BANGOR — A Bangor woman said Tuesday that she was the suspect in the investigation launched last week into improper absentee balloting in Bangor.

Arvilla Verceles, a staunch Bangor Republican, contacted the NEWS Tuesday and said she was the focus of the investigation by the Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office.

District Attorney R. Christopher Almy refused comment on Verceles’ statement, and said only that his office considered the charges very serious and was actively investigating the case.

Almy said last week a partially disabled Bangor voter had written a letter to city hall stating that the person who came to her house to deliver her absentee ballot had filled out the ballot for her and had told her which candidates to choose.

Such action would be in violation of the laws governing elections that dictate voters are to fill out absentee ballots themselves and that volunteers are not to tell the voter for whom to vote.

City attorney Erik Stumpfel said publicly on Friday that the absentee ballot agent being investigated had collected 42 absentee ballots.

On Tuesday, Verceles said she was the only volunteer who had collected 42 ballots. She said she had not been contacted by the city or Almy’s office, but was sure she was the one being investigated.

She adamantly denied any improper activity and said of the 42 ballots she collected that she had not filled out anyone’s ballot for them.

She said she had contacted the city to try to get a copy of the letter that the woman sent, but was denied access to it. Almy said evidence in the case would not be shared with anyone unless they were charged with a crime.

Verceles said it was the second time Almy had made such allegations against her. She said she was investigated for similar conduct four years ago. No charges were brought in that case.

She claims the allegations are a staged political plot because local Democrats have had a grudge against her since she changed political parties about five years ago.

“I have not done anything wrong. I never filled out anyone’s ballot or told them how to vote,” Verceles said.


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