In re Ballot Challenge in Election of Town of Clifton Select Board Member

On May 8, 2026, the Executive Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court received documents related to a challenge, made pursuant to 21-A M.R.S. § 673, to two absentee ballots cast in the Town of Clifton election on March 24, 2026, for a one-year position on the Select Board.

This is the second challenge to the two ballots. The first challenge was dismissed by order of the Court issued on May 4, 2026.

The Supreme Judicial Court has set up this web page to post the public filings and orders on this matter.  We want to ensure the public's full and timely access to information related to the proceedings.  We will be posting documents as soon as they become available.

All public documents will be provided here and will not be provided by the clerk's office. Please check this web page often for updates and documents related to the cases.

Case information and public documents below will be removed from the website once the case is no longer active or considered of great interest to the media and the public

Documents

• May 15, 2026: Stipulation of Facts of participating interested parties     
• May 13, 2026: Procedural Order issued after conference of counsel and parties
• May 12, 2026: Letter from Jeff Roberts with exhibits [This document will not be considered by the Court]
• May 8, 2026: Documents received from the Town of Clifton [documents are redacted to remove certain personal information]:
  • Cover letter dated May 7, 2026
  • Petition Forwarding Envelope Containing Challenge Certificate and Signed Affidavit Pursuant to 21-A M.R.S. § 696(1)
  • Sealed envelope containing a challenge by Gregory Newell [this challenge was dismissed by the Court's order of May 4, 2026]
  • Sealed envelope containing the following documents:
    • Challenge certificate
    • Letter dated May 5, 2026, from Jeffrey Niles Jr. to Tammy Gray and Jan Logan
    • Voter Challenge Affidavit of Jeffrey E. Niles Jr. dated May 6, 2026
    • Affidavit of Challenge of Jeffrey E. NIles Jr. dated May 6, 2026
  • Two opened, empty absentee-ballot envelopes
  • Two marked ballots [not provided here]
  • An Absentee Register
  • Two Applications for Absentee Ballots
  • Tally Sheets for Local Election dated March 24, 2026
  and May 6, 2026
  • Alpha Voter List - Clifton [not provided here]

 

Media Contact

Members of the media who require assistance may contact Barbara Cardone, Esq., Director of Legal Affairs and Public Relations at (207) 213-2803 or barbara.cardone@courts.maine.gov.