Dunlap allays concerns about rumors of ICE at polling stations
‘No one should be concerned about any group of people trying to storm the polls,’ Dunlap tells voters at campaign event
Around 30 people attended Matt Dunlap’s town hall in Ellsworth. Photo by Lydia Hart.
Oct. 13, 2026
By Lydia Hart
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Democratic candidate running for Maine’s 2nd congressional district, Matt Dunlap, hosted a town hall at the Ellsworth Public Library.
Dunlap, who currently serves as Maine’s state auditor and previously served as Maine’s secretary of state, spoke about how he was convinced to run for Maine’s 2nd congressional district.
“I would talk to people, and I’d say, ‘What do you think about the idea of challenging Jared Golden in a primary?’ What I expected to hear was ‘Matt, you're a great guy...’ But instead, almost uniformly, it was ‘110 percent. Were do I send a check?’’’ Dunlap said.
Dunlap only gave a brief speech before moving into a Q&A session at the event.
“I don't really have a set spiel, and I try not to talk for too long because this is really about hearing what you have to say and answering any questions you may have,” Dunlap said.
The audience questions covered a wide range of topics, from Dunlap's stance on foreign policy to how he would conduct himself if elected to represent Maine’s 2nd congressional district.
One member of the audience asked Dunlap his opinion on the possibility of ICE agents monitoring Maine’s voting locations.
“This has come into currency because one of our gubernatorial candidates has said that he was going to invite ICE to come to polling stations,” Dunlap said. “Immigration Customs Enforcement has utterly no jurisdiction in our polling locations whatsoever. The person that controls our polling locations is the election warden.”
Dunlap, who was Maine’s secretary of state from 2005 to 2011, and again from 2013 to 2021, went on to explain the intricacies of Maine’s election laws.
“No one should be concerned about any group of people trying to storm the polls and take over, frankly,” Dunlap said. “We had those conversations. I’m not a part of those conversations anymore, but I’m pretty confident they're happening on what to prepare for on election day.”
Another audience member asked Dunlap how he would prioritize reinstating programs the Trump Administration has rolled back or dismantled since taking office in 2025.
“I think one of the hardest things will be the civil service corps… those people aren't going to come back. Some may, you know, but job security is a handy thing. If they’ve experienced catastrophic job loss once, they probably don't want to touch that stove again.”
Later this week, Dunlap will participate in a debate against Republican candidate Paul Lepage. The debate will take place on Thursday, Oct. 15, and will air on WABI at 7 p.m.
