The Press Herald’s June 22 editorial, lauding Maine’s voting laws, was well written and accurate to a point. However, the story is just a bit more complex and nuanced than you imply.
The four voting laws cited were, as you note, all sponsored by Democrats. Two more-restrictive voter ID laws, both killed in committee, were sponsored by Republicans. And Susan Collins, our Republican U.S. senator, has just voted to disallow the national voting rights bill proposed by Democrats from even being debated on the senate floor.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, proclaimed a week ago that no Republican would vote to allow this bill to move forward. Apparently he felt quite secure that Collins could be counted on to put party above country. She attempts to portray this as a states’ rights issue. We all know exactly what states’ rights her party hopes to preserve, and it isn’t about democracy and the fundamental right of the people to cast a vote in free and fair elections.
Ann Morrill
South Portland
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