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In 2024, a campaign known as “Voter ID for ME” collected signatures for a referendum question to change Maine’s voting laws. Backed mostly by wealthy out-of-state interests, it will come before voters on Election Day in November. The question will read:
“Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?”
If passed, it would weaken Maine’s beloved absentee voting program and would restrict Maine citizens’ access to the ballot box, by making it harder for them to vote absentee and harder for municipal clerks to participate in the process.
The creators of this referendum say this is all necessary to reduce “fraudulent voting,” but voter fraud has never been shown to be a significant problem in Maine. What it would do is it would make it harder to vote, for a lot of Maine voters.
It is possible this referendum would make it harder to commit voter fraud, but since significant voter fraud has not been shown to exist in our state, and it is likely these measures would result in fewer people being able to vote, it doesn’t make sense.
Come November, please remember to vote “no” on “Voter ID For ME.”
Bob Lodato
Charleston
