South Portland Reprints Ballots Over $150 Million Bond Typo

South Portland is reprinting its municipal ballots after a printing vendor flagged a typographical error in the city's public safety bond question, the city announced in early October 2026, the Portland Press Herald reported.

The bond principal and the estimated interest were each printed correctly, but the sum of the two was wrong. The city submitted a total of $150,398,500; the printer transposed digits and the ballots show $105,398,500.

The replacement ballots are being produced at no cost to the city and were expected to arrive within the week, according to the city. Residents who voted early before the mistake was found, and those sent absentee ballots with the error, will receive a mailed notice. Ballots already cast remain valid, but voters who want to change their vote can have the clerk's office spoil the original and issue a replacement, the city said. Spoiled ballots are tracked so every ballot issued is accounted for.

Early voting at City Hall is continuing, with notices posted in voting booths and voters told about the error at the polls. Questions go to City Clerk Jessica Hughes at 207-767-3201.

Separately, the Department of the Secretary of State said several western Maine towns received a small number of incorrect ballots that left off at least one Maine House candidate, which it attributed to a packaging error.

This story was first reported by Portland Press Herald - Maine Sunday Telegram.