In 1776, Abigail Adams wrote a letter to her husband, founding father John Adams, about the American Colonies’ efforts to declare independence and create for themselves a more fair form of government. “And, by the way,” she famously wrote, “in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. … If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”
It wasn’t until nearly 150 years later that an amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution, putting into law that “the ladies” have the right to make their voices heard by voting. Of course, the whole story isn’t that simple. It’s true that on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified. While this was a major victory in the suffrage movement, many Black, Native American and other women of color were not legally guaranteed the right to vote until decades later.
Every time I cast a ballot, I can’t help but think of the brave women who for years picketed, marched and petitioned for the right to vote. It’s because of their determination and sacrifices that I’m able to make my voice heard at the ballot box. As with so many things, we stand on the shoulders of giants.
I’m proud to live in a state like Maine, where we enjoy some of the strongest and most accessible voting laws in the nation. Our democracy is only as strong as it is because all of our voices matter. It’s only by sharing our varied perspectives, thoughts, values and hopes that we are truly able to create and maintain a more perfect union.
This year, we’re facing some additional challenges. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re doing what we can to maintain social and physical distancing. For people who have an elevated risk of suffering severe symptoms for the disease, voting in-person — sometimes waiting in long lines, standing close together in an enclosed space — can be a high-risk activity. Thankfully, Maine already allows for no-excuse absentee voting and early voting. That means you can request a ballot from your town office to be mailed to you, filled out at home, and securely mailed back to be counted for Election Day. You can also stop by your town office early to fill out a ballot early, on a day when things will be less crowded and hectic.
I’m happy to report that now, the process is even easier. You can request your absentee ballot online at https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl. This form went live on Monday, Aug. 17 — one day before the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. I’ve been in contact with Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, whose office is working with local towns to help them deal with what they are anticipating will be a flood of absentee ballots. To compensate for recent troubles with the Postal Service, many towns are setting drop-off boxes for ballots. Secretary Dunlap is working closely with local officials to make sure these boxes are secure, to ward against any tampering or fraud.
If you’re planning to vote absentee, I strongly advise you request your ballot and mail it back as soon as possible. With a little bit of planning, we can give our hardworking town clerks the time they need to make sure all our votes are counted. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, it’s even more apparent that we all need to make our voices heard by voting.
State Sen. Eloise Vitelli represents Senate District 23 in the Maine Senate, which includes all of Sagadahoc County and the town of Dresden in Lincoln County.
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