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Since we moved to Maine 10 years ago, I’ve voted in every local, state, and federal election.
For several of those elections, I’ve called my town clerk and requested an absentee ballot, because I was temporarily working away from our home throughout the work week, and couldn’t get to their office on a workday.
I strongly oppose the upcoming Question 1 on this fall’s state ballot, which will reduce the availability and accessibility of absentee voting in Maine, among numerous other negative impacts it will have.
If Question 1 passes, I won’t be able to call my town clerk to get an absentee ballot. I’ll have fewer days to cast my absentee ballot. My town won’t be able to place return postage on my absentee ballot, even if my town’s elected officials have funded that step.
These are just a few of the ways this initiative would suppress voter participation, which seems to be the larger, unstated goal of the regressive forces who put it on the ballot.
I urge readers to vote “no” on Question 1 this fall.
William A. Wood
Bangor
