On Monday, the Maine House of Representatives voted to eliminate Election Day voter registration.
If the Senate follows suit, many voters will be disenfranchised and turned away from the polls or their city and town halls for two days before an election, in addition to Election Day.
This bill restricts access to the polls and reduces participation by eliminating the opportunity for new voters to register.
It can be difficult for people to get to town or city hall during the work week ”“ especially in small towns where municipal buildings have limited hours. Election Day, or the few days prior, may be the only opportunity for some to register and vote early via absentee ballot, and this bill would end that option.
This bill has not even garnered support from town clerks throughout the state, despite the fact that a glut of voters registering late is extra work for them during a hectic time.
At a public hearing on the bill in May, Bangor City Clerk Patti Dubois spoke about retaining same-day voter registration.
“I am a little bit concerned about disenfranchising voters,” she said. “I’d much prefer to continue with the process we have in place.”
Maine has had same-day voter registration and absentee voting up to Election Day in place for close to four decades. This is not the time to go back on this law.
Although the bill tackles some other issues clerks have raised, many agree the same-day voter registration ban should not be a part of the bill.
The Maine Town and City Clerks Association testified in support of the proposal, but said it would favor an amendment to remove the restrictions on voter registration. The bill has remained intact, though, and that is why it should be voted down by the Senate.
If clerks need some adjustments to current law to make their jobs easier, that may be something that could be worked out in the next session, but elections are hectic and overwhelming because they are atypical ”“ not a weekly occurrence. That is precisely why as many people as possible should have access to the polls and absentee voting for the few times a year towns and cities actually hold voting.
The right to vote is paramount in the United States and a privilege that is integral to democracy. Putting barriers between the people and their right to participate in the process ”“ to elect their representatives and senators and say yes or no to public spending ”“ infringes on that right.
We hope the Senate will reject this proposal and send it back to committee, where the elimination of same-day voter registration and absentee voting up to Election Day can be removed, and the rights of voters to fully participate can be preserved.
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Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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