Plan now to make your vote count
This November, Maine voters will select their choice for President/Vice President and elect one of Maine’s two U.S. Senators, Maine’s Representatives to Congress and members of the Maine Legislature. This will be the first presidential election where voters will be exercising their right to vote during a deadly pandemic. It is important for voters to have a plan to ensure their safety and the safety of poll workers in their community.
Maine has strong pro-voter laws with options to vote safely and securely. Now is the time to decide how you are going to vote.
Option 1. Request an absentee ballot now by going to https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/voter-info/absent.html. Absentee voting is safe and secure. You may also call or write your town clerk to request an absentee ballot. Ballots will be available in early October. Return your voted ballot as early as possible either by mail or in your town’s secure ballot drop box. Ballots must be returned by 8 PM election day.
Option 2. Absentee early in-person voting. Beginning in October, voters will be able to vote at the clerk’s office in their town. Check with your town clerk for hours. Maine does not require a reason or excuse to vote by absentee ballot.
Option 3. Vote at the polls on Nov. 3. Check with your town office for opening hours. All polls close at 8 p.m. You can avoid lines at your polling place by voting an absentee ballot.
Plan now how you are going to exercise your fundamental right to vote and make your vote count.
Barbara Boyce,
Arrowsic Town Clerk
Vote Horch
If you can vote for Angus King, you can vote for Fred Horch. In style and substance, Fred strongly resembles our Independent Senator. Like Angus, Fred is a lawyer and a business person with a deep understanding of the issues and a calm demeanor that dispels partisan rancor. I am voting for Fred because I know he has the knowledge, skills and temperament to be an effective independent legislator representing Brunswick’s District 49 in the Maine House.
The fact that the Republican in Fred’s race has dropped out makes the choice even more clear. If you’re a Democrat, you can vote for Fred without fear of splitting the vote. If you’re a Republican, you can vote for Fred to avoid electing a Democrat. And if you’re an independent, you can vote for Fred to grow the contingent of independent legislators serving in Augusta.
Whatever your political persuasion, I encourage you to join me in voting for Fred Horch.
Jeffrey Selinger,
Brunswick
Vote Arford
Brunswick voters in House District 49 will get to choose between two well-respected candidates this election. I know you will each come to your own thoughtful conclusion, but I’d like to ask your indulgence to tell you about my friend, Poppy Arford.
Poppy came into my life years ago when we volunteered to help with the annual Brunswick Democrats MLK Pasta Supper, a great non-political event that raises money for Midcoast Hunger Prevention.
Poppy served on the planning committee, and seeing her in action was a sight to behold. It wasn’t just that she sweat the details, from finding enough pasta sauce to ensuring people with different dietary needs would feel welcome. It was the kind, hopeful sense of purpose behind all that hard work that made me so glad to get to know her.
Poppy wanted everyone to have a great experience, and she kept imagining herself in the shoes of others. I’ve spent nearly a decade serving as an aide in the Legislature, and, in my experience, that is exactly what the most effective lawmakers do each day as they build bridges and form coalitions to improve life for constituents.
Since that first MLK moment, I have found Poppy to be indispensable no matter what project she took on. She would make an excellent member of the Maine House. So whether you vote early, use Brunswick’s secure ballot drop box, vote by mail or head to the polls on November 3, please consider adding Poppy to your slate.
Dan Ankeles,
Brunswick
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