Correction: A letter from Ron Bilancia on Sept. 25 was corrected to reflect the fact that Gov. Ken Curtis, a Democrat, was in office at the time same-day voter registration was adopted.
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Proponents of keeping the ban on Election Day registration continue to insist that people can register before. This is possible for many only if they miss work. The town offices and city halls are open during the day. Our town office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m..
If someone commutes out of town for a job, they cannot get to the office while it is open.
The hours for voting are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. If a voter comes to register they are sent to the town manager. He knows who pays taxes, who rents and who lives in town. The courts have determined that college students are residents and can vote.
I’ve worked at the polls for over 10 years. Our elections are extremely well run.
The only change requested by election clerks was cutting off absentee ballots two days before an election because the ballots are opened the end of the week before election Tuesday. The voters name is checked and ballots are sealed in an envelope to be counted with the others on election day.
It is so obvious that some Republicans added the removal of Election Day registration for selfish reasons.
Nancy Willard
Woodstock
I am a registered Republican voter and my right to have my vote not be diluted by voter fraud or lazy uninformed people being led like sheep to the polls is imperative and absolute. I have been registered to vote since I turned 18 in 1979. No one had to lead me to the clerk to do this.
Each time I moved, everywhere I have ever lived, almost as soon as the utilities were put in my name, I was at the town office or the post office to register.
I hold my privilege and duty to vote in this republic as a cherished honor. The motor voter law has made registering to vote so easy that no one has a good reason not to be registered in a timely manner.
The post office, the town office, our schools and many other locations are available to concerned citizens that want to register to vote. The law requiring a person to register to vote three days before an election is not too burdensome a law in order to make sure that all our legitimate votes count.
No voter is disenfranchised by this law!
John G. Grooms Jr.
Madison
This letter is in support voting “Yes on 1” in November to preserve same-day voter registration in Maine. The ability to register and vote on Election Day was passed 38 years ago by a Republican-controlled Legislature and a Democratic governor.
The system works very well and helps ensure that every opportunity to register and vote is afforded to people who have recently moved, live in towns with very limited town office hours or have other life circumstances which has made it difficult to register earlier.
It encourages voter participation by all voters regardless of party affiliation.
There is absolutely no documented evidence of a voter fraud problem in our state, and most Maine municipal clerks are very used to the law, support it, and have well-established systems to accommodate it. There was no good reason whatsoever to end our long tradition of same-day voter registration. Maine has a strong culture of voter participation and one of the highest voter turnouts in the nation. We should be very proud of this tradition. Please vote “Yes on 1” on Nov. 8 to preserve same-day voter registration in Maine.
Ron Bilancia
Brewer
Soldier’s story reminds her to value simple pleasures
I had the privilege to listen to a local soldier home on leave speak to a group of 8th-graders at a school I work at as a teacher. His message was one that highlighted his unit’s efforts to build positive relationships with Afghan communities. In his noting the details of a soldier’s life, he was asked to identify something he missed when in Afghanistan. His first response identified his loving family members.
This was followed by his noting missing seeing fields of grass since the desert is a dramatically different terrain from Maine. His comments reminded me of how it is important not to take for granted the simple pleasures that surround us.
Along with his message of hope, he spoke of how grateful the troops are to receive care packages. Juicy Juice gum’s value was extolled along with items we hardly consider premium choices (canned pasta, candy bars, etc.). These simple pleasures are reportedly helping these brave, young men and women endure many hardships.
New England offers us so many beauties. We should take a moment to remember the young men and women who are far from us now. Your support can be in the form of a letter or a care package that perhaps contains some of that sought after chewing gum.
What it may do when received is remind these young patriots that we have not forgotten them. As stated eloquently by the young soldier today, the simple pleasures are the ones that tend to have the most value when you are without them.
Cathleen Gallo
Kittery
Wind power projects draw strong differences
I read about the town of Woodstock’s windfall due to a new wind power project! They expect to get $400,000 in additional tax money for their town. I can think of a lot of Maine communities that could use that kind of money.
This project on Spruce Mountain could mean that the residents of Woodstock will see a decrease in their tax bills, and /or the town can start to fix its roads. We sure know the state isn’t going to do it for them!
Maine residents take note: There is a way out of our dreary economic woods if we are smart enough to take it. Maine can have clean, locally generated energy and enjoy the economic benefits. We can (and should) take advantage of one of Maine’s best natural resources, our wind.
Mark Bancroft
President, Bancroft Contracting Corp.
Paris
Statistics don’t lie. Here’s the final tally after public comment on First Wind’s proposed assault on the Downeast Lakes region of Maine:
Combined totals: 34 Supporting ( 9.1 percent) 337 Against ( 90.1 percent) 3 Neutral ( 0.8 percent)
The Land Use Regulation Commission has scheduled deliberations for October and November. So now we find out: Do we live by democratic rule, or will the people of Maine be overridden by former governors and their sons and contributions to targeted groups, like the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine from out-of-state developers?
Jack Gagnon
Lakeville
I’m very happy to learn that the wind project just up the road from me in Woodstock will generate an estimated $400,000 annually in tax revenue for a part of the state that could surely use a shot in the arm!
Wind power is a stellar example of an industry that Maine has at her finger tips and one that provides many benefits to our state.
From the construction jobs, to the tax revenues, this is a local power source that helps us diversify.
I believe so strongly that Maine should do all it can to attract private investment, and this project is an opportunity we should celebrate!
Scott Smith
Paris
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