¶ Overview
In 2026, Charles repeatedly called for the U.S. Marshals and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to be present at Maine polling locations ahead of the 2026 election, despite federal restrictions on armed federal officers near polls. His calls aligned with Trump’s push for greater federal involvement in the 2026 elections and as Trump declined to rule out sending federal agents to the polls.
In February, Charles described the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as a “deterrent” to undocumented immigrants he accused of being used to “tip the balance” in elections. By June, Charles again said he would call Tom Homan to send federal agents to Maine and warned the state would not tolerate election “irregularities.”
In August, Charles repeated the proposal at a Maine Young Republicans event in Arundel, saying he would ask his “friend” Tom Homan to send U.S. Marshals and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the polls weeks before Election Day. Arundel directly borders Biddeford, where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in July during an enforcement operation that did not target him. Charles responded by calling for Congress to provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with additional resources.
Charles’ calls for federal agents at Maine polling locations were not the first time he promoted claims of election fraud in Maine. In 2025, Bobby Charles promoted election fraud claims, accused Democrats and immigrants of undermining Maine’s voting system, and encouraged voters to support Question 1, which would have imposed voter ID and absentee voting restrictions. Charles claimed that Maine elections were “corrupt” and pushed voter ID and absentee voting restrictions, despite Maine voters later rejecting Question 1 by a more than 25-point margin in 2025.
¶ At An Arundel Event, Charles Called To Send U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Agents And U.S. Marshals To Maine Polling Locations One Month After A Fatal U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Shooting In Biddeford, Maine
¶ Charles Said He Would Ask His “Friend” Tom Homan To Send Federal Immigration Agents And Marshals To Maine Polling Places “Three Or Four Weeks Before The Election”
August 20, 2026: Charles Told Supporters He Would Ask Tom Homan To Send U.S. Marshals And U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Agents To Maine Polling Locations In The Weeks Leading Up To Election Day. According to the Associated Press, "Maine’s Republican nominee for governor recently told a crowd of supporters that he would ask a top Department of Homeland Security official to send U.S. Marshals and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling places in the state for this fall’s midterm elections, according to audio obtained by The Associated Press. During an Aug. 20 event in Arundel, Bobby Charles told a group of supporters that he would ask Tom Homan, the White House border czar, to send federal agents to polling places in the weeks before Election Day. The audio was first reported by the Bangor Daily News." [Associated Press, 8/26/26]
August 20, 2026: At A Campaign Event In Arundel, Charles Said He Would Ask His “Friend” Tom Homan To Send U.S. Marshals And U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Agents To Maine Polling Locations “Three Or Four Weeks Before The Election.” According to Charles at the Maine Young Republicans Meet & Greet in Arundel, "I have a friend named Tom Homan, Tom and I used to be on Fox all the time together. Tom's an awesome guy. So I'm going to ask Tom. I'm going to, actually three or four weeks before the election, maybe three. I'm going to make an appeal for ICE and marshals to be at our voting booths.” [Bobby Charles, Maine Young Republicans Meet & Greet, Arundel, Maine, 8/20/26] (AUDIO)
¶ Charles Called For U.S. Marshals And U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Agents At Maine Polls In Arundel, Bordering Biddeford, One Month After A Fatal U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Shooting
August 20, 2026: Charles Attended A Maine Young Republicans “Weekends Of Action” Kickoff And Candidate Meet And Greet At Bentley’s Saloon In Arundel, Maine. According to the Maine Young Republicans, "Candidate Meet and Greet with Bobby Charles Thursday, August 20 at 1:30 – 3:00 pm Eastern Time 1601 Portland Rd, Arundel, ME, 04046 [...] Maine Young Republicans Weekends of Action Kickoff & Meet and Greet Join the Maine Young Republicans at Bentley’s Saloon in Arundel as we officially kick off our Weekends of Action! Come out for an afternoon of conversation, networking, and an opportunity to hear from Republican candidates from across Maine as we launch our statewide effort to organize, mobilize, and support Republican candidates ahead of Election Day. Gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles will be stopping by to meet attendees and speak, along with other candidates and special guests throughout the event. Admission is FREE! 🍺 Cash bar available 🍔 Food available for purchase 🇺🇸 Meet Bobby Charles and other Republican candidates 🗳️ Help kick off the Maine Young Republicans Weekends of Action Whether you’re already involved, looking to volunteer, or simply want to meet candidates and other Republicans from across Maine, come join us as we kick off our Weekends of Action and get ready to hit the ground across the state.” [Maine Young Republicans, Archived 8/21/26]
- Charles Made The Comment At A Campaign Event In Arundel, Which Directly Borders Biddeford. According to Google Maps,
[Google Maps, Accessed 8/21/26]
¶ July 2026: After A Federal Immigration Agent Fatally Shot Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero In Biddeford, Charles Called For Congress To Provide U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Agents With Additional Resources
July 2026: Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero Was Fatally Shot By A Federal Immigration Agent In Biddeford During An Enforcement Operation He Was Not The Target Of. According to CNN, "A simple memorial of flowers and candles has gone up near the spot on a Maine street where Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero’s partner fell to her knees and his 3-year-old daughter cried after he was fatally shot by an ICE officer on Monday. Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old food delivery driver from Colombia, died Monday in the historic Atlantic coast city of Biddeford, where neighbors remembered him as a good man and hard worker. The Colombian Embassy initially reported his age as 26. [...] An ICE officer fired his weapon ‘fearing for public safety’ as Durán Guerrero, in a vehicle, ‘attempted to flee the scene,’ the Department of Homeland Security said in its first official statement nearly 12 hours after the shooting. He was not the target of the enforcement operation." [CNN, 7/15/26]
¶ Charles Called For More Federal Resources For U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement After The Fatal Biddeford Shooting
July 2026: After A Federal Immigration Agent Fatally Shot Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, Charles Called For Congress To Give Additional Resources To The U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement. According to the Maine Wire, "The hosts also asked Charles about Gov. Janet Mills’ comments following the Biddeford shooting, in which she said Congress should impose greater accountability measures on ICE and suggested that if reforms cannot be made, the agency should be abolished. Charles sharply rejected that position, calling it ‘complete and total demagoguery.’ He instead argued that Congress should provide ICE with additional resources, including funding for body cameras, while maintaining immigration enforcement efforts." [Maine Wire, 7/16/26]
¶ Charles Repeatedly Called For Federal Agents At Maine Polling Locations While Trump Pushed For Greater Federal Involvement In The 2026 Elections
¶ August 2026: Charles Called For Federal Agents At Polling Locations Despite Federal Limits As Trump Pushed Claims Of Widespread Noncitizen Voting
¶ Charles Called For U.S. Marshals And U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Agents At Polling Places Despite Federal Limits As Trump Pushed Claims Of Widespread Noncitizen Voting
August 2026: Charles’ Comments Came Amid Trump’s Efforts To Sow Doubt About Election Security And Intervene In Election Administration While Pushing Vastly Overstated Claims Of Noncitizen Voting. According to the Associated Press, "Charles’ comments come as President Donald Trump continues to sow doubt about the security of elections in the U.S. elections and takes unprecedented measures to intervene in election administration. The Constitution gives states, and sometimes Congress, the authority to set election rules but grants no such power to the president. A central part of his attacks is to claim widespread fraud through voting by noncitizens. But those claims are vastly overstated. Voting by noncitizens is exceptionally rare and is punishable as a felony, with deportation as one potential penalty." [Associated Press, 8/26/26]
¶ Federal Law Restricted The Deployment Of Troops And Armed Federal Officers Near Polling Locations
Associated Press: Federal Law Prohibited The Military And Federal Agencies From Deploying Troops Or Armed Officers Near Polling Locations. According to the Associated Press, "Federal law prohibits the military and federal agencies from putting troops or armed officers near polling sites, according to the Brennan Center." [Associated Press, 8/26/26]
¶ Charles Repeatedly Called For Federal Marshals And Immigration Agents At Maine Polling Locations, Aligning With Trump’s Calls For Greater Federal Involvement In The 2026 Elections
¶ Charles Said Federal Agents At Polling Locations Could Act As A “Deterrent” And Warned Maine Would Not Tolerate Election “Irregularities”
June 2026: Charles Called For Federal Marshals And Federal Immigration Agents At Maine Polling Places And Said He Would Warn Voters Weeks Ahead That The State Would Not Tolerate “Irregularities.” According to Charles during an interview on Maine's Morning News, "But I will tell you then I think I'm going to call ahead of time down to my friend Tom Homan, and I'm going to make sure that we have the marshals up here and we have ICE up here, and we can make an announcement three weeks ahead that, you know, you better know what you're doing and we're not going to see illegal aliens, etc., etc., at the polling place because Maine isn't going to tolerate irregularities anymore." [Bobby Charles, Maine's Morning News, 6/10/26] (AUDIO)
February 2026: Charles Accused Undocumented Immigrants Of Being Used To “Tip The Balance” In Elections And Called For Federal Immigration Agents And Federal Marshals At Polling Locations As A “Deterrent.” According to Charles during an interview on John Solomon Reports, "They want these illegal aliens here to tip the balance in their favor at at election time. I will tell you, though, I'm going to be calling for ICE and for marshals to come in here three weeks before the election and to be at our polling locations. A little bit of a deterrent for the illegal aliens." [Bobby Charles, The John Solomon Reports, 2/2/26] (AUDIO)
¶ In 2026, Trump Suggested He Was Open To Declaring A National Emergency And Deploying Federal Troops To Assert More Control Over The 2026 Elections, And Called For Republicans To Nationalize Elections
August 11, 2026: Trump Declined To Rule Out Declaring A National Emergency As A Way To Assert More Control Over The 2026 Elections, Suggesting The Option Was In Play. According to CNN, "President Donald Trump in a new interview declined to rule out declaring a national security emergency as a means to try to assert more control over the 2026 midterm elections. It’s merely the latest warning sign that Trump could try to mess with the election not just by baselessly claiming voter fraud and challenging the results afterward — as he did in 2020, leading to a violent riot at the US Capitol — but by trying to unilaterally take control before votes are cast. In the interview, Wayne Allyn Root of Real America’s Voice pitched such a scenario to Trump. He suggested it as an alternative, given the Senate has failed to pass Trump’s coveted elections bill, known as the ‘SAVE America Act.’ ‘If they never get the SAVE America Act done, you have the right to declare a national security emergency for elections,’ Root said. He added that ‘if you declare a national security emergency as the president of the United States, they can’t challenge it. It can only be overturned by a two-thirds vote by both houses of Congress. So if you do this in the next month, we will get photo ID, proof of citizenship (for voter registration) and a limit to mail-in ballots.’ It’s at this point that Trump cut Root off and coyly suggested such an option was indeed in play. ‘Let me just say that stranger things have happened, OK?’ Trump said. ‘I’ll leave it at that.’" [CNN, 8/11/26]
May 2026: Trump Declined To Rule Out Deploying Federal Troops Or Agents To The Polls During The 2026 Elections, Saying He Would “Do Anything Necessary To Make Sure We Have Honest Elections.” According to Democracy Docket, "President Donald Trump won’t rule out deploying troops or federal agents to the polls during the upcoming midterm elections, he said in comments to journalists Tuesday. ‘I’d do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections,’ Trump said. ‘We have to have honest elections.’ His comments came in response to PBS Newshour correspondent Liz Landers, who asked whether the president would send the National Guard or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to voting locations this November." [Democracy Docket, 5/12/26]
February 2026: Trump Urged The Republican Party To “Take Over The Voting In At Least 15 Places" And To Nationalize Elections. According to CNN, "And Trump has occasionally said things, like he did in the new interview, suggesting he would like to take control of US elections. Back in February, he urged his party to ‘take over the voting in at least 15 places,’ adding: ‘The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.’" [CNN, 8/11/26]
¶ Bobby Charles Promoted Election Conspiracy Theories And Claimed Maine’s Elections Were “Corrupt” While Pushing For Voting Restrictions
¶ Bobby Charles Promoted Election Conspiracy Theories, Claimed Maine’s Voting System Was “Corrupt,” And ADvocated For Voter ID And Absentee Voting Restrictions
¶ Bobby Charles Promoted Election Fraud Claims, Attacked Democrats And Immigrants, And Encouraged A “Yes” Vote On Question 1
August 2025: Bobby Charles Promoted Election Fraud Claims, Accused Democrats And Immigrants Of Undermining Maine’s Voting System, And Encouraged A “Yes” Vote On Question 1 To Make Maine Elections “Less Prone To Fraud.” According to a Charles opinion from the Association Of Mature American Citizens, “Then take this pending voter ID measure, a clear effort by concerned Mainers to get integrity back into the voting process, battered by proven allegations of double voter cards, illegals with driver’s licenses and permits, and a Democrat push to import tens of thousands of illegal aliens, increasingly involved in drug crime, violent and property crimes, and fatal traffic accidents. […] That referendum is intended to make the Maine voting process more honest, less prone to fraud, yet the very process of trying to correct potential fraud has been fraudulently interfered with by the shameless Mills Mafia, including the two Democrat contenders to follow her, Bellows and Pingree.” [Bobby Charles Opinion – Association Of Mature American Citizens, 8/29/25]
October 2025: Bobby Charles Claimed Widespread Ballot Fraud And Claimed Maine Elections Were “Corrupt” While Urging New Voting Restrictions. According to Charles’ Twitter thread, “If you need ID to buy a beer, drive a car, or get on a plane, you sure as hell should need it to choose your leaders. But Augusta Democrats are losing their minds over this. They’re calling voter ID ‘an attack on democracy.’ Actually, ballot fraud is the attack on democracy. Here’s what Question 1 actually does: -Requires voter ID for both in-person and absentee ballots. -Ends the endless ‘automatic absentee’ loophole. -Limits unsecured drop boxes. -Bans phone-in ballot requests. This is common sense. Augusta Democrats want to keep ballots flying around Maine like junk mail, no oversight, no verification, no accountability. That’s how we end up with ‘lost ballots’ showing up in Amazon boxes. Under this corrupt system, Augusta Democrats protect the same chaos that benefits illegal aliens, out-of-state operatives, and ballot harvesters, not law-abiding Mainers. When I served as a Naval Intelligence Officer, I tracked and dismantled drug cartels. You learn fast: the moment you stop verifying identities, corruption floods in. It’s no different in elections. Maine deserves elections we can trust. Democrats call that ‘extreme.’ I call it basic security, for your vote, your town, and your future. Send a message to the corrupt Democrat Machine in Augusta: ✅ VOTE YES ON 1 for voter ID ❌ VOTE NO ON 2 to protect our Constitution.”
[Twitter, @Bobby4Maine, 10/10/25]
¶ Voters Rejected Question 1 By More Than 25 Points As Returns Showed Broad Statewide Opposition
November 2025: Maine Voters Overwhelmingly Rejected Question 1’s Voter ID And Absentee Voting Restrictions. According to Maine Public, “Maine voters resoundingly defeated a ballot initiative on Tuesday that would have required them to show a photo ID during future elections and that sought to rollback aspects of the state’s absentee voting process. The Associated Press called the race less than two hours after polls closed as early returns showed strong opposition to Question 1 in more left-leaning coastal areas but also in pockets of rural Maine. That voting gap widened as results trickled in. And by midnight, Question 1 was failing 36.1% to 63.9% with roughly three-quarters of votes counted, according to the AP.” [Maine Public, 11/4/25]