By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES—The Maine Secretary of State’s office determined a voting fraud accusation against the Town of Naples was unfounded.

Naples resident “Karen Bogdan has persistently accused the town of not allowing her to vote” during the annual town meeting this year, according to Naples Town Manager John Hawley.

“She had written letters of complaints to the selectmen and me that she was not allowed her vote at town meeting,” he said.

“She filed the complaint with the Secretary of State. First, she sent the letter to the governor’s office,” he said.

When the staff at the State of Maine Office of Gov. Paul LePage received the letter, “they passed it on to the Secretary of State,” Hawley said.

The Secretary of State’s department contacted the Town of Naples to inform Hawley that the incident would be investigated.

“I was told by them they were going to notify the governor’s office that there was nothing behind the complaint. There was nothing to show that she was not permitted to vote,” he said.

“I guess for anybody who was in attendance at town meeting or anyone who watched it on Lake Region TV, it is clear that her rights to vote were never in jeopardy,” Hawley said.

During the Naples Annual Town Meeting, which was held on June 9, Bogdan spoke during each warrant article. At first, she asked questions. But, as the meeting progressed, she would step up to the microphone and summarize what other people had said. Then, she began to ask people for their opinions.

She made statements about not having enough information to know how to vote. At one point, she asked how she should vote and someone in the audience said that was up to her and they were not sure if it was legal to tell her how she should vote.

Toward the end of the meeting, moderator Penn Worcester asked her not to refrain from speaking because 1.) Her comments had become disruptive; and 2.) She was repeating the comments of other people.