Left Thinks ME Voters Are Stupid; Launches LD 1376 People's Veto
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Apollo, I guess you missed my point, is it possible for someone or group to do such a thing to subvert the process?
So they have no problem getting the signatures verified to make sure they are legal, but do not deem verification to be of importance on voting day, seems odd to me.
And the fun continues with a NH official's son perhaps registering in both Maine and New Hamjpshire. Shucks, he even ran for office in Maine.
Interesting. The author listed on the PPH opinion piece, below, is only cited as "Reid Scher, resident of Windham." I don't suppose that either he, or the PPH, thought it relevant to include that he's the Chairman of the Cumberland County Democratic Party.
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Opinion
Posted: August 5
Updated: Today at 7:02 PM
Another View: Changing registration laws would disenfranchise voters
In his recent column, Gerald Caruso seems to have difficulty with the concept of universal suffrage....
...snip
It's interesting. I always thought, reading the coverage of elections in which we do well to get 50 percent participation, that the problem was lack of participation. For Caruso and Maine Republican Party chairman Charlie Webster, the issue is too much participation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Reid Scher is a resident of Windham.
Petition aims to restore same-day voter registration
But supporters of new Maine law that bans the practice claim it will stop fraud
By Deborah Mcdermott
dmcdermott@seacoastonline.com
August 07, 2011 2:00 AM
.....snip
Weaver said he knows Szeniawski has no problem with same-day registration, but said "there are a lot of clerks upcountry who are there by themselves and it's a burden on them."
....snip
Still, Weaver said he has no problem with the citizen's veto effort, saying it's the right of Maine residents to work to repeal laws they find unworkable.
"If it goes the other way, if that's the will of the people, that's fine, too," he said.
10:52 AM
Maine same-day vote petitions due today
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA —...snip
... coalition members are confident they've received enough signatures to force the November vote. The group plans to turn in signatures today and Tuesday.
... coalition needs to present 57,277 valid signatures ... by Tuesday afternoon to force a November referendum. ...could still force a June 2012 vote by turning in the required signatures by late September.
This story will be updated following a news conference scheduled for 3 p.m. today at the State House.
The Protect Maine Votes coalition submitted 68,064 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office Monday afternoon. That number far surpassed the goal of 57,277 names – the minimum amount to place a people’s veto question on the November ballot. Dozens of people who helped with the month-long collection process were at the State House celebrating their success.
It reads like a press release from the Democrats. This isn't reporting, it is regurgitation.
I actually hope this goes before the voters. That way, when this question is defeated, the rest of the country can see that Mainers aren't all yuppified, ignorant liberals in the mould of, oh, I don't know...Cynthia Dill, Emily Cain or David Farmer.
If voted on, I bet the outcome will be about 61% in favor of same-day registration.
If voted on, I bet the outcome will be about 61% in favor of same-day registration.
And I'll bet you could not be more wrong about this.
Okay - the one who wins owes the other one a quart bottle of Allen's. (no fair buying it in tax-free NH, either).
:)
I believe this may be the original version of the "Democratic press release" posted above on the repeal signatures:
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Posted: August 9
Signatures filed to force referendum on Maine's same-day voting law
A coalition says it has enough signatures to put the law, which limits registration, on the ballot.
By Rebekah Metzler rmetzler@mainetoday.com
MaineToday Media State House Writer
...snip
Charlie Webster... a vocal opponent of the repeal effort.
"This debate will be about fraud. They want to try to make it about disenfranchisement," he said. "The only people disenfranchised ...are people who ...work all day... they want to know that their vote counts."
Webster..has been critical of ...students from out of state who register to vote in Maine, called the coalition a "welfare coalition" and claimed it has a political motivation for repealing the new law.
For those who say it's not possible to register to vote via US mail -
This national site, above, contains information on how to register to vote via US mail prior to elections in various states. It also contains information for each state on current regulations (it doesn't yet show the new Maine law).
The site appears to lean toward the left, with links to League of Women Voters and some other, similar organizations. However, the service it provides shows that voter registration via the US Mail is possible, for every state in the union.
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Here's the online information from Maine.gov, including a PDF application to receive a registration card through the mail.
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/data.htm
Voter Registration Cards
Voter Registration Card Request Form
Voter Registration Card Distribution Policy
Electronic Voter Registration Card (for reproduction purposes)
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/reg-card-request-form-11-08.pdf
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There is simply no truth to the claims from the law's opponents, who say that voter registration isn't possible through the mail, or through online sources. There is no truth to their claims that the new law will "disenfranchise" anyone.
Jeepn, it is party lines, and I know people who are R's and regret voting for Lepage. I doubt that he has gathered too many supporters since entering office. 61% of the state voted against him.
Naran, you rock. :D I might not agree with you on a few things, but I have never thought ill of you. I have a lot of respect for you. Just wanted to throw that out there. :D
Thank you, Domino. To quote a famous cartoon figure,
"I'm not really bad. I'm just written that way."
:)
Jeepn, it is party lines, and I know people who are R's and regret voting for Lepage. I doubt that he has gathered too many supporters since entering office. 61% of the state voted against him.
I disagree it's party lines, since this is not a party issue, it's an issue of common sense. And we travel in much different circles, because I know a few non-republicans who did not vote for LePage and think he's doing a great job. So from my perspective, he is gaining supporters with every common sense law like this that is passed.
People are tired of the same-old 40 years and always being in the bottom of the barrel. Suffice to say, those who enjoy wallowing and complaining at the bottom of the barrel obviously fear any move to get out of it.
Domino,
81% voted against Libby Mitchell and the Dems. The Maine Dems were caught attempting to rig an election when John Martin's lackey was convicted and spent time in jail for stuffing a ballot box. The Dems haven't been caught since. Maybe they haven't tried again...or maybe they just got better at it. Maybe the laws are so lax that they can stuff the box without fear of getting caught. No need to make it any easier for them. The majority of voters understand that.
More good news today. The treasurer got a great rate on our bonds by having an auction instead of selling to a connected insider in return for a fancy meal and shafting the people of Maine. As more and more of the 81% realize what went on under the failed Baldacci administration they understand that despite his rough edges LePage is correcting the wrongs of the past 30+ years of Dem rule every day.
BTW - Haven't seen you or any of the other usual apologists for the welfare state posting on the thread concerning people who move to Maine for the benefits.
Mainelion, I think the only D's that really voted for Libby were the ones who voted early. The D's that waited to see what would happen mostly voted for Cutler. I know plenty of I's and R's that voted for him too. Lepage won via tea party. Deciding to vote the day of the election should be a right.
Deciding to vote the day of the election should be a right.
Domino? The new law doesn't prevent any registered voters from deciding to vote on election day. But I see that you got the memo from your fellow libs on what talking points to espouse. Did it come directly from David Farmer?
LTTE
Bill was passed to stop voter fraud in Maine
To the editor:
...letter ... by Kennebunk Democratic ...Chairman Diane Denk...urged voters to sign..petition to overturn L.D. 1376 ... .. wrongly referred to ...as the voter suppression bill.
...snip
...some of the groups she listed...paying... $550 a week to gather signatures ... Activist groups ...have ...vested interest in having ...law overturned.
For years the Democrat party...used same-day...registration to its advantage. ...
I saw this first hand ......when taxi cabs delivered new voter after new voter in Biddeford by the carload
...snip.
Jones Gallagher
North Berwick
http://www.mainelymediallc.com/pdf/post_pgs.pdf
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Letter begins on page 10.
LTTE
August 14
It's not hard to vote twice
... college students have the ability to vote multiple times (and do)... many...foolish enough to boast of their actions.
... my classroom at Lewiston Middle School ..used as a voting site for many years ...Students from the nearby college ... were allowed to register on site...able to cast a ballot in all elections.
.... Having previously voted by absentee ballot from their home state, many... foolish enough to boast of their accomplishments as they paraded past my office on exiting the voting place....
...snip
Michael McClure
Lewiston
This has been printed in a couple of places now. I have gotten excellent response from my constituents thanking me for the information. Some signed the petition, but will now not vote for it and will likely pass the word to defeat the peoples veto. Awareness is everything.
New voter registration guidelines preserve electoral integrity
By Rep. Beth O’Connor
A good friend of mine called me to ask, “Beth, why did you vote to disenfranchise voters?” Then another person stopped me at the garden center and asked the same question. The bill these individuals were referring to was LD 1376, “An Act to Preserve the Integrity of the Voter Registration Process.” That bill, now in law, makes a modest adjustment to Maine’s registration deadline.
Since that time, I have been contacted by many individuals who have been misled by a group of individuals gathering signatures to repeal this new law. I was actually quite surprised to learn of this people’s veto effort. The legislation was motivated by ever-increasing pressure on municipal clerks around the state to process an ever-increasing number of last minute registrations and absentee ballots.
During the public hearing on LD 1376, an official with the Maine Town and City Clerks’ Association said, “Currently most clerks are at the breaking point when it comes to absentee voter turnout.” She said the last-minute surge “literally leaves us no time to set up our polling places properly and prepare our voting lists the day before an election.” She added, “When a person registers before Election Day, the voter registrar has ample time to solve any registration problems beforehand and better serve the voter.”
The proponents of this repeal are using the term “voter suppression” to describe the new registration guidelines. Not only is this disingenuous rhetoric, it is also alarmist, not to mention absurd. In fact, it reminds me of kids who know they have a major project due months in advance, yet neglect to do anything about it until the day before, and then whine because they are crunched for time because of their own irresponsibility and lack of initiative.
The change that is raising all the hoopla is a two-day deadline to register to vote that will apply to everyone who is not already registered. That is an extremely mild adjustment when you look at voter registration deadlines across the country. In Massachusetts, for example, the cutoff comes 20 days before Election Day. In New York, the deadline is a month in advance. Numerous states have 30-day cutoffs, including Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Alaska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Hawaii and the District of Columbia. The deadline is 29 days in Arizona, Florida, Kentucky and Colorado, 28 days in Illinois and New Mexico and 21 days in New Jersey, Maryland and Oregon. Even liberal California ends registration two weeks ahead of time.
The fact of the matter is that even after these necessary changes, Maine remains one of the most lenient states in the country when it comes to voter registration. The cries of “voter suppression” and “disenfranchisement” look even more ludicrous when you consider how easy it is to register in Maine.
There will still be 247 business days a year to register. If you can’t get to your town hall, you can fill out the registration form at any Bureau of Motor Vehicles office, social service agency or welfare agency affiliated with the Department of Health and Human Services. You may also have the city or town clerk’s office mail you the registration so you never even have to leave home.
In addition, any 17-year-old may pre-register even if they turn 18 on the day of the election. To assist in the voter registration process Maine law also requires municipal clerks to visit all licensed nursing homes and residential care facilities in their district during the 30 days before an election. This gives residents the opportunity to register and cast an absentee ballot.
This is not “voter suppression.” It is bending over backwards to make registration very easy.
If Election Day is on a Tuesday, the registration deadline will be 5:00 p.m. on the preceding Thursday. If you are already registered this does not affect you. This new law seeks to reduce the stress on the system before it breaks down by giving clerks two more days to prepare for elections.
The right to vote carries an implicit obligation to treat that right responsibly. Asking voters to register before the last minute should not pose a problem to those who take their civic duty responsibly. It seems logical that if you will vote for the candidates and policies that will shape our future, you should be able to find time to not only register in a timely manner, but also to educate yourself on the issues.
This modest two-day change will do exactly as the bill’s title states – “preserve the integrity of the voter process.” I stand by my vote 100 percent. ###
State Rep. Beth O’Connor (R-Berwick) serves on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee
Beth - wonderful job, and thank you!
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10:21 AM
Deadline near for voter registration question
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA — Maine election officials face a deadline this week to decide whether enough voters' signatures have been turned in to force a people's veto referendum on voting rights.
Supporters of an effort to preserve election day voter registration turned in more than 68,000 signatures Aug. 8...
That gave the secretary of state's office a month to certify the petitions and declare the referendum on.
Posted: September 9
Registration law goes to referendum
By Rebekah Metzler rmetzler@mainetoday.com
MaineToday Media State House Writer
AUGUSTA - Mainers will have an opportunity this fall to affirm or overturn legislation passed in June to repeal the state's 38-year-old law allowing voters to register on the day of an election.
Secretary of State Charlie Summers validated more than 70,000 signatures -- about 13,000 more than needed to force the referendum....
The Maine Heritage Policy Center Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 13, 2011
Poll Shows Majority Support for Ending Same-Day Voter Registration, Requiring Photo ID
Most Believe Protecting Against Fraud More Important Than Increasing Turnout
PORTLAND - A decision by the Legislature to end the practice of same-day voter registration in Maine has the support of a majority of likely Maine voters, according to a new poll commissioned by The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC).
According to the poll, 53 percent of likely Maine voters support the Legislature's recent decision to end same-day voter registration, including 72 percent of self-described conservatives and 53 percent of unenrolled/Independent voters. 47 percent oppose the elimination, including 71 percent of self-described liberals.
Critics of same-day voter registration believe the practice makes it too difficult for municipal clerks to verify potential voters meet residency and legal requirements before voting, increasing the chances that fraudulent votes impact Maine elections. Advocates for same-day voter registration claim that ending the practice will disenfranchise voters and severely impact voter turnout.
Supporters of same-day voter registration may not have much luck with this argument. By a 55 percent to 36 percent margin, those polled believe it is more important to protect against voter fraud than it is to maximize voter turnout.
The poll also asked respondents whether they favor requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls before casting their vote, which 56 percent do, compared to just 41 percent who oppose voter ID at the polls.
"Our democracy relies on the integrity of our electoral process. Our system must be sound, and the electorate needs to have faith in the legitimacy of our election results," said MHPC Chief Executive Officer Lance Dutson. "This poll shows that, while Mainers do not think fraud is a critical problem in our state, they do want safeguards to protect against it. Maine people understand that ending same-day registration helps protect the integrity of our system, and that the common-sense measure of requiring photo identification at the polls will help ensure Maine is safe from the kind of fraud and manipulation we see in other states."
CLICK HERE to view the topline results of the poll.
CLICK HERE to view the crosstabs.
The telephone survey of 500 Likely Voters in Maine was conducted by Pulse Opinion Research on September 7, 2011. Pulse Opinion Research, LLC is an independent public opinion research firm using automated polling methodology and procedures licensed from Rasmussen Reports, LLC.
###
Contact:
Chris Cinquemani, Director of Communications
207.321.2550 (o), 207.240.7090 (m)
chris@mainepolicy.org
The Maine Heritage Policy Center is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organization based in Portland, Maine. The Maine Heritage Policy Center formulates and promotes free-market, conservative public policies in the areas of economic growth; tax and fiscal matters; health care; education; constitutional law and government transparency, providing solutions that will benefit the people of Maine. Contributions to The Maine Heritage Policy Center are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Material from this document may be copied and distributed with proper citation.
© 2011 The Maine Heritage Policy Center
Maine Heritage Policy Center | P.O. Box 7829 | Portland | ME | 04112
Bravo, Rep. McKane!!
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Posted: September 16
Maine Voices: Why vote 'no' on Question 1? Because 'trust but verify' is a wise rule
Those saying we shouldn't ban a major opportunity for fraud ignore why many other states are abandoning it, too.
By Rep. Jonathan McKane
NEWCASTLE - Maine is a state full of trusting people. It is not unusual... to find a road-side vegetable stand with no one in attendance and a sign on a cigar box ... that says, "Make your own change."
There is one area, however, where Maine people may be a little too trusting....
That is our voter registration system. Our current system is one of the least secure in the country and the consequences.... could be far-reaching.
Source
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rep. Jonathan McKane, R-Newcastle, is serving his fourth term in the Maine House of Representatives.
493 comments - Did I hit a nerve? Go get'em, Naran!
I don't know if this was ever posted. It is by Rep Adam Goode and was in the BDN on 9/26. It is really a little scary.
Maine law requires that a person be a resident for the purposes of voting, but the standard for residency in election law boils down to a simple question. Do you live in Maine?
There’s no oath or time limit attached. To be a resident of Maine and vote doesn’t require you to predict the future, to know where you’ll be living next week, month or year.
Yes on Question 1 upholds constitutional guarantees on voting
How about a new sign in Kittery - Welcome to Vacationland - don't forget to vote!
Nice piece of work Beth. As more conservatives 'come out', the chorus will make music.
"Speak your truth quietly and clearly".
LTTE
Another View: Opinion on same-day registration biased and irresponsible editorial
The Press Herald's Sept. 23 editorial, "Investigation won't support voting changes," was not only myopic and irresponsible but it clearly showed, once again, the paper's Democratic bias.
It was just last year when The Press Herald opined that although it didn't agree with the Democrats' new tax reform law (L.D. 1495), it should not be repealed by a people's veto. A better way, it said, was to use the election process and, if you don't like the new law, vote out those who supported it.
When it is a Republican law being repealed, however, it's a different story.
- Dana D. Dyer
Bristol, Maine
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Citizens signing twice has happened before, and what they will do is throw out the duplicates. They aren't counted.