US woman claims that her Amazon order arrived containing hundreds of unmarked absentee ballots; Amazon responds

The FBI is assisting authorities in the US state of Maine to investigate the discovery of 250 unmarked absentee ballots that were reportedly shipped inside a woman's Amazon delivery box. The votes were intended for use in the upcoming November election. The incident came to light after the town of Ellsworth reported a shipment of 250 absentee ballots missing last week. On the same day, a woman in the city of Newburgh, which is nearly 40 miles away, reported finding an identical quantity, which is a bundle of 250 ballots wrapped in plastic, inside her Amazon package. Soon after the investigation was announced, the e-commerce major released a brief statement confirming it is fully cooperating with the investigation being conducted by Maine authorities.In a statement to the news agency AP, Amazon said: “Based on our initial findings, it appears that this package was tampered with outside of our fulfilment and delivery network, and not by an Amazon employee or partner.”Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows confirmed that the state's law enforcement division is actively investigating the matter, with the support of the FBI and state authorities. However, the recipient of the package has not been publicly identified.Suggesting that there could be other examples, Bellows said without elaborating: “I have full confidence that law enforcement will determine who is responsible, and any bad actor will be held accountable. This year, it seems that there may have been attempts to interrupt the distribution of ballots and ballot materials.”The investigation comes less than a month before the state's November 4 election while absentee voting is already in progress. The ballot includes a Republican-backed initiative proposing photo ID requirements for voters, limits on drop box usage, and changes to absentee voting procedures.Maine's Republican leadership in the Democratic-controlled Legislature sent a letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel requesting a federal investigation. According to the letter, the individual who received the package notified their local town office about the discovery.