AUGUSTA, ME-- Today the Maine GOP filed an appeal in Cumberland County Superior Court on the Secretary of State’s outrageous ruling to silence and invalidate thousands of Maine voters’ voices.

Maine GOP Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas commented on the filing, "through a meticulous investigation by our team and volunteers, we have found and verified that thousands of registered Maine voters’ signatures were improperly deemed invalid."

"Much like when we cast a vote, each signature from a registered Maine voter deserves to be counted. It is shocking how many voters the Secretary of State chose to silence."

"Our repeal calls for the swift reversal and reinstatement of the signatures that Secretary Dunlap wrongly disqualified. It is completely unacceptable that our Secretary of State would handle such an important process so poorly. As long as Maine voices are silenced, we will not stop fighting," concluded Kouzounas.

Background:

Through a review of nearly 10,000 petition sheets processed by the Secretary of State, Maine GOP has identified over 2,000 signatures improperly invalidated under four different categories of technical invalidation.

Maine GOP’s findings are more than necessary to qualify the People’s Veto of Rank Choice Voting for the ballot this November.

Invalidation of signatures in a number of other areas, including simple tabulation errors, erroneous disqualifications, and even improper claim of material alteration, account for hundreds more signatures that should have been deemed valid.

In one instance, a signature from a voter with cerebral palsy who legally signed a petition with a stamp, as is his constitutional right, was deemed invalid.

Maine GOP was not able to access and scan petitions until the middle of last week. If given more time, there is no question that more discrepancies would have been uncovered.