Citizen’s veto movement hopes to restore same-day voter registration

Posted July 07, 2011, at 5:57 a.m.
Last modified July 07, 2011, at 11:57 a.m.
Print this   E-mail this    Facebook this   Tweet this     

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine Secretary of State Charles Summers has approved the wording for a People’s Veto referendum question aimed at restoring the status quo when it comes to voter registration.

A new law passed during the 125th Legislature ended Maine’s practice of allowing people to register to vote on Election Day. The bill signed into law by Gov. Paul LePage requires people to register at least 48 hours before Election Day and was crafted largely to ease the burden of last-minute registrations on town clerks.

Paperwork to initiate a people’s veto of that law was submitted on June 21 by Barbara McDade, president of the League of Women Voters of Maine, and five other signers.

Critics of the new law now have until Aug. 8 to collect and verify more than 57,000 petitions to get it on the November ballot. If successful, the following questions will appear on the November ballot:

“Do you want to reject the section of Chapter 399 of the Public Laws of 2011 that requires new voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election?”

Signature gathering kick-off events have been scheduled for Friday, July 8, in Bangor, Lewiston and Portland. Volunteers will pick up petitions and begin gathering names as early as this weekend. In addition, the coalition of organizations opposed to the law will announce the formation of a political action committee to support signature collection and the election campaign.

Those organizations include Engage Maine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union, Maine League of Conservation Voters, League of Women Voters of Maine, Maine AFL-CIO, Maine League of Young Voters, Maine People’s Alliance, Opportunity Maine, Maine Equal Justice Partners, EqualityMaine, Maine Women’s Lobby, Maine Education Association, MSEA-SEIU, Speaking Up for Us, the Disability Rights Center, Preble Street Resource Center and Homeless Voices for Justice.

BDN reporter Eric Russell contributed to this report.

Similar articles:

Marketplace News

Marketplace

Guidelines for posting on bangordailynews.com

The Bangor Daily News encourages comments about stories, but you must follow our terms of service.

In brief:

  1. Keep it civil and stay on topic
  2. No vulgarity, racial slurs, name-calling or personal attacks.
  3. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.

The primary rule here is pretty simple: Treat others with the same respect you'd want for yourself. Here are some guidelines (see more):

  • kcjonez

    Everyone who wishes we lived in a true democracy will sign this petition and vote yes for repeal of this despotic regulation.  Maine has traditionally had one of the highest voter turnouts in the country and this law will change that admirable ranking.  It’s entire premise is based on false allegations and it is obviously designed to favor one party over another.  Any legislative action of this nature should be rejected and we should be thankful that we have the provision in our laws to allow us this choice.  It is time to use it!  

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1702433988 Lisa Herz

    Where would one find a copy to sign?

  • Anonymous

    Yah, all the undocumented democrats want to sign it.

     ”wishes we lived in a true democracy” = Tyranny of the masses.

  • Anonymous

    Yah, all the undocumented democrats want to sign it.

     ”wishes we lived in a true democracy” = Tyranny of the masses.

  • Anonymous

    Yah, all the undocumented democrats want to sign it.

     ”wishes we lived in a true democracy” = Tyranny of the masses.

  • Anonymous

    Talk about “false allegations.” Is there really some pool of (largely Democratic) potential voters who can’t manage to register beforehand? If there is, and if the Maine Democratic Party can’t help them to get registered, then maybe Democratic Party competence leaves something to be desired.

    I don’t put a lot of faith in claims of fraudulent voter registration, but the Left’s overwrought reaction to the loss of same-day registration is starting to make me wonder.

    Incidentally, America isn’t a democracy and wasn’t meant to be: it’s a republic, which is where we elect people to do government for us so we can get on with living our own lives.

  • Anonymous

    It was “despotic legislation” that was passed originally to allow same day voter registration.
    If you have not witnessed the college students beint brought into Bangor from Orono to register on the same day, then perhaps you should stay in a voting area for the all day session.

  • Anonymous

    “The masses” = “the great unwashed”?

  • Anonymous

    “The masses” = “the great unwashed”?

  • Anonymous

    “The masses” = “the great unwashed”?

  • Anonymous

    “The masses” = “the great unwashed”?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jack-Long/1499408399 Jack Long

    People that are this incompetent, and are no doubt entitlement seekers and takers and of course  largely Democrats, shouldn’t be allowed to vote. They are just going to vote for more of other peoples (working peoples money) anyway. Try educating your voters Dems.

  • kcjonez

    The petitions are just now being released and will soon be seen in many places.  Farmers markets, festivals and fairs, busy street corners and the offices of any of the members of the alliance that are working on this issue–Democratic headquarters offices, MCLU offices, Maine People’s Alliance offices, League of Young Voters…….
    Check out “Protect Maine Voting Rights” on facebook.  
    Thanks for asking!

  • Anonymous

    How many voters are there out there not already registered? The only excuse for NEEDING to register on election would be if it was your 18th birthday that day or you have moved and it’s your first day in town.

  • Anonymous

    How many voters are there out there not already registered? The only excuse for NEEDING to register on election would be if it was your 18th birthday that day or you have moved and it’s your first day in town.

  • Anonymous

    How many voters are there out there not already registered? The only excuse for NEEDING to register on election would be if it was your 18th birthday that day or you have moved and it’s your first day in town.

  • Anonymous

    How many voters are there out there not already registered? The only excuse for NEEDING to register on election would be if it was your 18th birthday that day or you have moved and it’s your first day in town.

  • Anonymous

    How many voters are there out there not already registered? The only excuse for NEEDING to register on election would be if it was your 18th birthday that day or you have moved and it’s your first day in town.

  • Anonymous

    How many voters are there out there not already registered? The only excuse for NEEDING to register on election would be if it was your 18th birthday that day or you have moved and it’s your first day in town.

  • Anonymous

    How many voters are there out there not already registered? The only excuse for NEEDING to register on election would be if it was your 18th birthday that day or you have moved and it’s your first day in town.

  • Anonymous

    How many voters are there out there not already registered? The only excuse for NEEDING to register on election would be if it was your 18th birthday that day or you have moved and it’s your first day in town.

  • Anonymous

    How many voters are there out there not already registered? The only excuse for NEEDING to register on election would be if it was your 18th birthday that day or you have moved and it’s your first day in town.

  • Anonymous

    What utter nonsense. If voting is important to someone, which it certainly should be, why is there such a hardship placed upon them by requiring them to register prior to Election Day? The elderly might need a ride to town hall to accomplish this and I’m sure there are few who could not get some assistance with this. As for college students, if they don’t actually reside in Maine (other than for the purposes of attending school, of course), then they shouldn’t be voting here. They can get an absentee ballot from their home state, which is appropriate.

  • Anonymous

    I just wonder how the Town Clerks from all over the State of Maine can verify that a citizen wanting to register to vote on election day isnt a convicted felon, illegal immigrant or other person disqualified from voting? And I believe the answer to my own question is, they cant. So then I ask myself, Why would my fellow citizens support a law that potentially allows fraudulent voters to cast votes? And I cant answer that one. Between this law, and the failure to pass a law requiring a photo ID to vote, we have made it easier to commit voter fraud, not harder. In this day and age with Obama in the White House and his ACORN stooges committing voter fraud in multiple states on multiple occasions its more important than ever to ensure our voting process is corruption free. One way to do that is to resist the leftists attempts to allow voter fraud to happen. Tell these idiots with their petitions to send them to ACORN. I wont be signing it. And I hope most Mainers dont.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    Nice try, JJH, but save your snark. “Undocumented” Democrats, Republicans, or any other individuals who are not registered to vote in Maine can sign the veto petition, but their signatures will not count towards the total. Signatures have to be verified by the Secretary of State. It’s up to the folks who already have voting rights to ensure that others will have them too. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    Nice try, JJH, but save your snark. “Undocumented” Democrats, Republicans, or any other individuals who are not registered to vote in Maine can sign the veto petition, but their signatures will not count towards the total. Signatures have to be verified by the Secretary of State. It’s up to the folks who already have voting rights to ensure that others will have them too. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    Nice try, JJH, but save your snark. “Undocumented” Democrats, Republicans, or any other individuals who are not registered to vote in Maine can sign the veto petition, but their signatures will not count towards the total. Signatures have to be verified by the Secretary of State. It’s up to the folks who already have voting rights to ensure that others will have them too. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    Nice try, JJH, but save your snark. “Undocumented” Democrats, Republicans, or any other individuals who are not registered to vote in Maine can sign the veto petition, but their signatures will not count towards the total. Signatures have to be verified by the Secretary of State. It’s up to the folks who already have voting rights to ensure that others will have them too. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    Nice try, JJH, but save your snark. “Undocumented” Democrats, Republicans, or any other individuals who are not registered to vote in Maine can sign the veto petition, but their signatures will not count towards the total. Signatures have to be verified by the Secretary of State. It’s up to the folks who already have voting rights to ensure that others will have them too. 

  • Anonymous

    The raccoon pack is gathering, or was it lemmings? I can remember when I was in college having to get an absentee ballot.  I felt I knew who was running at home, especially for congress and below, better than where I was in school.  The same thing prevailed while in the military, get that absentee ballot.  When I finally “settled” down, I remember the gentle questioning at the town clerks office in Skowhegan and registered.  Relocated to Bangor and vaguely remember a waiting line to register to vote.  If you want to exercise your right to vote you have to take the initiative to do so.  No van rides or bus rides to the polls for me.    

  • Anonymous

    Your definition sounds like “big governement”.

  • Anonymous

    Im sorry but I do not recall seeing anything in this law about denying someone the right to vote. I love how the left goes into histrionics and over dramatizes things. All this law means if that you have to register before you go to vote. You only have ALL YEAR to get this done. Its not exactly a hardship for most, and for those that it is a “hardship” for, we have programs to help them. You told JJH to “save your snark”, well Im now going to suggest to you that you save the overly dramatic appeal for same day registration. Its not worth the risk of voter fraud to allow this. Not unless you are an ACORN operative that is.

  • Anonymous

    And you’re a witness?  Stats please.

  • Anonymous

    Hyperbolic stereotyping.

  • Anonymous

    No graveyard vote no democrats in office.Pretty simple and they know it ,that is why the dems are driving this one so hard.If you do not think enough of voting to be prepared 2 days before you vote maybe you should not be voting.

  • Anonymous

    Well, same-day voter registration helped me participate in the 2000 election. I had recently moved to Maine, and believe it or not there are A LOT of things to take care of when you relocate to a new area, especially when you start a new job the day after you arrive in town.

    Before I knew it, the November elections were upon us. I was qualified to vote, but had not taken the time to get to the town office to register yet (it would have meant taking time away from my new job, a luxury I did not have). Luckily I was able to register there at the polls, and this encouraged me to participate in our democratic process.

    I am a registered Republican, though I consider myself an independent.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    I didn’t say anyone was being denied the right to vote. However, for the past 38 years Mainers have had the right to register on Election Day. The goal of that provision was to increase voter participation, and Maine can be justly proud of the high turnouts we have had in the past few decades. 
    FYI, ACORN has been out of business for nearly a year. Time to find a new straw man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    I didn’t say anyone was being denied the right to vote. However, for the past 38 years Mainers have had the right to register on Election Day. The goal of that provision was to increase voter participation, and Maine can be justly proud of the high turnouts we have had in the past few decades. 
    FYI, ACORN has been out of business for nearly a year. Time to find a new straw man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    I didn’t say anyone was being denied the right to vote. However, for the past 38 years Mainers have had the right to register on Election Day. The goal of that provision was to increase voter participation, and Maine can be justly proud of the high turnouts we have had in the past few decades. 
    FYI, ACORN has been out of business for nearly a year. Time to find a new straw man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    I didn’t say anyone was being denied the right to vote. However, for the past 38 years Mainers have had the right to register on Election Day. The goal of that provision was to increase voter participation, and Maine can be justly proud of the high turnouts we have had in the past few decades. 
    FYI, ACORN has been out of business for nearly a year. Time to find a new straw man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    I didn’t say anyone was being denied the right to vote. However, for the past 38 years Mainers have had the right to register on Election Day. The goal of that provision was to increase voter participation, and Maine can be justly proud of the high turnouts we have had in the past few decades. 
    FYI, ACORN has been out of business for nearly a year. Time to find a new straw man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    I didn’t say anyone was being denied the right to vote. However, for the past 38 years Mainers have had the right to register on Election Day. The goal of that provision was to increase voter participation, and Maine can be justly proud of the high turnouts we have had in the past few decades. 
    FYI, ACORN has been out of business for nearly a year. Time to find a new straw man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    I didn’t say anyone was being denied the right to vote. However, for the past 38 years Mainers have had the right to register on Election Day. The goal of that provision was to increase voter participation, and Maine can be justly proud of the high turnouts we have had in the past few decades. 
    FYI, ACORN has been out of business for nearly a year. Time to find a new straw man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    I didn’t say anyone was being denied the right to vote. However, for the past 38 years Mainers have had the right to register on Election Day. The goal of that provision was to increase voter participation, and Maine can be justly proud of the high turnouts we have had in the past few decades. 
    FYI, ACORN has been out of business for nearly a year. Time to find a new straw man.

  • Anonymous

    If ACORN is out of business as you claim, then perhaps you can explain todays headline about Obama being in trouble for giving grants to ACORN affiliates in direct violation of the law banning them from receiving Federal funding. You see Bethany, the ACORN’s in this country dont just go away. They have to be pushed. If you really believe they are gone perhaps you can explain why they have a website still up and running??

  • Anonymous

    If ACORN is out of business as you claim, then perhaps you can explain todays headline about Obama being in trouble for giving grants to ACORN affiliates in direct violation of the law banning them from receiving Federal funding. You see Bethany, the ACORN’s in this country dont just go away. They have to be pushed. If you really believe they are gone perhaps you can explain why they have a website still up and running??

  • Anonymous

    If ACORN is out of business as you claim, then perhaps you can explain todays headline about Obama being in trouble for giving grants to ACORN affiliates in direct violation of the law banning them from receiving Federal funding. You see Bethany, the ACORN’s in this country dont just go away. They have to be pushed. If you really believe they are gone perhaps you can explain why they have a website still up and running??

  • Anonymous

    I find it more than a little disturbing that so many here seem to be so cavalier about the voting rights of their fellow citizens.  The attitude is if people can’t get to the polls within some arbitrary timeline, they are either illegal immigrants, college students, welfare queens, lazy bums, or some other “undeserving” class of people.  Oh, and (possibly deceased) Democrats too.  For some people, it really is very difficult to get to the town office to register.  The elderly and the disabled fall into this group.  It’s arrogance personified to decide what is a hardship for others and what is not.  And yes, there are some citizens who vote in ways and for reasons that I disagree with, but that is THEIR right.  This law is designed to suppress votes by “undesirables” as defined by the Republican party.  That is – the young, the poor, and minorities.
     
    Voter fraud occurs infrequently at best, as evidenced by the lack of documented cases (only two!).  Busloads of illegal voters are a fantasy, otherwise we would have seen evidence of it.  I can’t imagine that this would be happening and NO ONE reported anything.  Ever.  It’s not a reason to disenfranchise a single voter, which WILL happen.  It’s not going to help the town clerks; if anything, they will spend an inordinate amount of time on Election Day explaining to legal citizens why they will not be allowed to vote.

  • Anonymous

    I find it more than a little disturbing that so many here seem to be so cavalier about the voting rights of their fellow citizens.  The attitude is if people can’t get to the polls within some arbitrary timeline, they are either illegal immigrants, college students, welfare queens, lazy bums, or some other “undeserving” class of people.  Oh, and (possibly deceased) Democrats too.  For some people, it really is very difficult to get to the town office to register.  The elderly and the disabled fall into this group.  It’s arrogance personified to decide what is a hardship for others and what is not.  And yes, there are some citizens who vote in ways and for reasons that I disagree with, but that is THEIR right.  This law is designed to suppress votes by “undesirables” as defined by the Republican party.  That is – the young, the poor, and minorities.
     
    Voter fraud occurs infrequently at best, as evidenced by the lack of documented cases (only two!).  Busloads of illegal voters are a fantasy, otherwise we would have seen evidence of it.  I can’t imagine that this would be happening and NO ONE reported anything.  Ever.  It’s not a reason to disenfranchise a single voter, which WILL happen.  It’s not going to help the town clerks; if anything, they will spend an inordinate amount of time on Election Day explaining to legal citizens why they will not be allowed to vote.

  • Anonymous

    I find it more than a little disturbing that so many here seem to be so cavalier about the voting rights of their fellow citizens.  The attitude is if people can’t get to the polls within some arbitrary timeline, they are either illegal immigrants, college students, welfare queens, lazy bums, or some other “undeserving” class of people.  Oh, and (possibly deceased) Democrats too.  For some people, it really is very difficult to get to the town office to register.  The elderly and the disabled fall into this group.  It’s arrogance personified to decide what is a hardship for others and what is not.  And yes, there are some citizens who vote in ways and for reasons that I disagree with, but that is THEIR right.  This law is designed to suppress votes by “undesirables” as defined by the Republican party.  That is – the young, the poor, and minorities.
     
    Voter fraud occurs infrequently at best, as evidenced by the lack of documented cases (only two!).  Busloads of illegal voters are a fantasy, otherwise we would have seen evidence of it.  I can’t imagine that this would be happening and NO ONE reported anything.  Ever.  It’s not a reason to disenfranchise a single voter, which WILL happen.  It’s not going to help the town clerks; if anything, they will spend an inordinate amount of time on Election Day explaining to legal citizens why they will not be allowed to vote.

  • Anonymous

    I find it more than a little disturbing that so many here seem to be so cavalier about the voting rights of their fellow citizens.  The attitude is if people can’t get to the polls within some arbitrary timeline, they are either illegal immigrants, college students, welfare queens, lazy bums, or some other “undeserving” class of people.  Oh, and (possibly deceased) Democrats too.  For some people, it really is very difficult to get to the town office to register.  The elderly and the disabled fall into this group.  It’s arrogance personified to decide what is a hardship for others and what is not.  And yes, there are some citizens who vote in ways and for reasons that I disagree with, but that is THEIR right.  This law is designed to suppress votes by “undesirables” as defined by the Republican party.  That is – the young, the poor, and minorities.
     
    Voter fraud occurs infrequently at best, as evidenced by the lack of documented cases (only two!).  Busloads of illegal voters are a fantasy, otherwise we would have seen evidence of it.  I can’t imagine that this would be happening and NO ONE reported anything.  Ever.  It’s not a reason to disenfranchise a single voter, which WILL happen.  It’s not going to help the town clerks; if anything, they will spend an inordinate amount of time on Election Day explaining to legal citizens why they will not be allowed to vote.

  • Anonymous

    You mean sorta like claiming that denying voting day registration is in some way denying people the right to vote?? That sort of hyperbole??

  • Anonymous

    You mean sorta like claiming that denying voting day registration is in some way denying people the right to vote?? That sort of hyperbole??

  • Anonymous

    You mean sorta like claiming that denying voting day registration is in some way denying people the right to vote?? That sort of hyperbole??

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    “Graveyard votes”? You can’t be serious. I don’t know where you vote, but in every Maine town I’m familiar with, the election workers are mostly long-time residents who know quite well who died in the past year (or the past 20). Even if a deceased voter’s name is still in the registrar, do you really think someone could get away with posing as that person? And why would they risk it, when the reward would be very limited, and the potential punishment severe?

  • Anonymous

    Do I really think someone could get away with voting as a deceased person in a state where we dont require a photo ID to cast a vote? Umm yesssssssssssss. Perhaps (going back to ACORN for a moment here) you need to familiarize yourself with the tens of thousands of fraudulent voter registrations submitted by ACORN in at least 14 states in the last election alone. If it can happen in 14 states with over 1 million fraudulent registrations submitted in total, my question is why do you think it CANT happen here in Maine? Up until this last election the dems had control for 30 years, so they didnt need to cheat here like the DNC does in other places like Chicago. But now that the GOP is in control for the first time in a long time in Maine, Id not be even a bit suprised if the DNC puts the vote-early-and-vote-often machine into gear right here in Maine. Its not like they havent done it before.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    OK, I’ve googled….Not surprising that the news references coming up are from FOX, NewsMax, etc. Well, you’ve got your trusted news sources, I’ve got mine….
    http://mediamatters.org/research/201107070025
    As to the ACORN website, the last post there is from Nov. ’10, announcing that ACORN was filing for bankruptcy. No action links, only news releases. Not exactly “up and running,” IMHO.But I know there is no point beating this dead horse further.

  • Anonymous

    I find it completely disturbing that in the age of Obama and ACORN you attempt to whistle your way through the graveyard on the issue of voter fraud. Its happened all over the country in unbelieveable numbers, and yet you constantly keep bringing up this sob-story of the person who “cant get to the polls within some arbitrary timeline”. Im sorry, but I find this appeal to be a completely disingenuous attempt to rationalize leaving our voting process open to fraud in order to assist some fictional person who cant make it to the town office to register, but yet can make it to the polling station to cast their vote. You see, if its such a struggle for this fictional person to make the long, arduous trip to the Town Office in order to register, how exactly are they getting to the polls to vote?? And furthermore, how is this law infringing on the  young and their right to vote? Im assuming the “young” arent too feeble to make it to the Town Office like the rest of the downtrodden in your sob-story. Come on, lets see you spin this one into some tale of Republican misdeeds.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    Putting aside the validity of your claim of “1 million”, fraudulent voter registrations, serious though they may be, do not equate to fraudulent votes. Fraudulent registrations are most likely due to the profit motive, when third parties are paid per registration. 

  • Anonymous

    Well that I would agree with. And I apologize if I rode the ACORN horse too roughly. The point Im trying to make is that voter fraud is a real concern. Its not fiction. ACORN isnt receiving Federal funding anymore, I know that. But I also know they are still in business. The whole point to all of this is that if ACORN got caught committing voter fraud in such huge numbers, in 14 States, then it should be of some concern here. This attitude of “oh it could never happen in Maine” is nothing more than a false sense of security. It could happen here. This is why we should require a photo ID to vote. But that battle we’ll save for another day.

  • Anonymous

    Well that I would agree with. And I apologize if I rode the ACORN horse too roughly. The point Im trying to make is that voter fraud is a real concern. Its not fiction. ACORN isnt receiving Federal funding anymore, I know that. But I also know they are still in business. The whole point to all of this is that if ACORN got caught committing voter fraud in such huge numbers, in 14 States, then it should be of some concern here. This attitude of “oh it could never happen in Maine” is nothing more than a false sense of security. It could happen here. This is why we should require a photo ID to vote. But that battle we’ll save for another day.

  • Anonymous

    20,000 up to 35,000 fraudulent voter registrations in Missouri alone. 252,595 voter registrations were submitted in Philadelphia by ACORN. Remarkably, 57,435 were rejected. Im up to what..roughly 80, ooo after only 1 state and 1 major metropolitan city. I think you get the point. We can waste time arguing numbers, but with just what Ive posted here its obvious this is a big problem. Just wait another year until Obama is voted out and a real investigation of ACORN can be conducted. It might get uglier.

  • Anonymous

    You do know that convicted felons can vote in Maine, right? Even from prison.  We have the most liberal felon voting laws in the country (along with Vermont).  Not saying I agree with this.  But if Republicans are so concerned with “undesirables” voting, why didn’t they start with this?  Probably because the numbers aren’t statistically significant enough to bother with.  But those minorities and young people are another matter.  They could actually swing an election.  I’ll be signing the petition and I think the Republicans will find they’ve overreached. Again.

  • MARINE73

    Don’t be fooled by this article.  The people behind this citizen initiative are the ones who bus in outsiders to register and vote on election day so that they can get their agendas passed in each state.  They did it in New Hampshire in 2008 and they’ll do it here, too.   They don’t want to have to come to Maine twice, once to register and  possibly have their fake addresses checked out, and again on election day to vote.   Every one of the organizations listed in the news article have their own agenda and will stop at nothing to get laws passed that suit their purposes.   This is what this “citizen initiative” is really all about.  Has nothing to do with our citizens.     There isn’t anyone in Maine who can’t take care of their registration to vote before election day.  Please help keep our elections clean and don’t sign their petitions!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=791336854 Mark Smith

    I will support this repeal effort because I believe a significant portion of the population is too lazy to vote.  There are some that are slightly less lazy and will register and cast a ballot if they can accomplish it  all in a single trip to the town office or voting location.  We should encourage  the lazy people to vote, not make it more difficult for them.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=791336854 Mark Smith

    I will support this repeal effort because I believe a significant portion of the population is too lazy to vote.  There are some that are slightly less lazy and will register and cast a ballot if they can accomplish it  all in a single trip to the town office or voting location.  We should encourage  the lazy people to vote, not make it more difficult for them.

  • Anonymous

    It’s not your place or mine to determine what constitutes a hardship for people and when they should or should not be able to go register to vote. This law doesn’t just infringe on the young, but all of us.  It will cut across party lines.   And even if voter fraud is happening in other states in “unbelievable numbers”, it has yet to be proven that any of that is happening here.  The burden of proof is on the people making these claims and none has yet been offered publicly.  You can’t claim that a crime has been committed without offering some kind of proof other than a gut feeling that something illegal is occurring, which is about all I’ve heard from your side.

  • Anonymous

    It’s not your place or mine to determine what constitutes a hardship for people and when they should or should not be able to go register to vote. This law doesn’t just infringe on the young, but all of us.  It will cut across party lines.   And even if voter fraud is happening in other states in “unbelievable numbers”, it has yet to be proven that any of that is happening here.  The burden of proof is on the people making these claims and none has yet been offered publicly.  You can’t claim that a crime has been committed without offering some kind of proof other than a gut feeling that something illegal is occurring, which is about all I’ve heard from your side.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    Actually, Republican same-day registration outnumbered Democrats in 2010. Try again.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    Thank you. It’s good to see Republicans who are willing to speak up about how important this is.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    What if someone moved to a new town on November 1st and the election was within the next 3 business days, as will often happen?

    (And don’t say “vote in the previous town”, as that actually IS voter fraud.)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    You have to present identification and proof of residence (utility bill, etc) to register to vote. Actually, if you want to get technical, the same-day voter is the easiest one to prove they’re really them.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    Prove your lies.

  • Anonymous

    wonder if these same signatures are going to be used for the gay vote.Anyone see the left machine that is collecting these signatures.Wonder why it is all lefty groups pushing this HMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!.Do they know something about voter reg. the rest of us do not.I will guess a signature for repeal voter reg. will be a signature for the gay vote.

  • Anonymous

    Actually I wasnt aware of that. I dont know how that law ever got passed, but I can only assume it must have happened while the democrats were in control of everything. Yet another reason to just keep on voting for those dems fellow Mainers. Oh and thank you for the info jellybeenz.

  • Anonymous

    As I said before, coming off of 30 years of control by the party known to employ these type of fraudulent voting schemes it should be a concern. For the last 3 decades the dems havent needed to cheat here because they were in total control. Now thats changed, and its a valid concern to worry about the DNC using voter fraud to win back Maine. Its better than sticking your head in the sand and talking about gut feelings.

  • Anonymous

    No, I think this time the onus is on you. Prove he’s wrong.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, I think lots of people would be surprised about that, PJ.  I’m not saying that the Dems are all that great in some respects.  I think that prisoners should not be able to vote either.  If you are a convicted felon, you’re denied certain rights (like gun ownership, etc).  There are a lot of stupid laws that should be rescinded or modified.  But rather than attempting to fix something that’s not broken and putting up roadblocks to civic participation, why don’t the Republicans work on issues that really matter?  Like jobs?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    So, to clarify- in addition to voter fraud, you are also implying conspiracy and other malfeasance on the part of elected officials in Maine?

  • Anonymous

    Same day registration is not a “fraudulent voting scheme”.  In fact, I used it myself when I registered to vote for the first time twenty years ago.  Been voting ever since.  It’s hard enough to encourage civic participation without putting up unnecessary and counterproductive obstacles.  Young people especially don’t really know the rules and are more likely to do things impulsively.  Should that disenfranchise them? No.

    Not sure why you are so worried about vote fraud by the DNC.  I’ve never heard such slurs thrown around about the Republicans here over the past 30 years, even though the Dems were in power for so long.  Why do you think D’s are more likely than R’s to cheat?  The D’s didn’t have a phone bank in NH to jam Republican phone lines.  We are law-abiding, tax-paying citizens just like you.  In fact, I don’t think the D’s will NEED to cheat in order to win back the state.  The governor and the R leadership (Webster, et al) will make it easy.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, apparently it’s part of the R playbook as written by Charlie Webster.

  • Anonymous

    What we have being presented as a reason for this law is an “argumentum ad ignorantiam”, which says that voter fraud that has not been proven to not have occurred, therefore MUST have occurred.  See Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_ignorance

  • Anonymous

    What we have being presented as a reason for this law is an “argumentum ad ignorantiam”, which says that voter fraud that has not been proven to not have occurred, therefore MUST have occurred.  See Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_ignorance

  • Anonymous

    What we have being presented as a reason for this law is an “argumentum ad ignorantiam”, which says that voter fraud that has not been proven to not have occurred, therefore MUST have occurred.  See Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_ignorance

  • http://www.facebook.com/timb0723 Tim Brown

    I noticed that you above article failed to list the Maine Democratic Party as a supporter of this People’s Veto movement. Hmmm…  :)

  • Anonymous

    I dont get the rabid denials that any voter fraud has taken place in this country. Its happened all over the place. At least 14 states, and thats just ACORN. And yet here you are acting like we’re wanting to pass a law barring unicorns from voting. This isnt fantasy land. Yesterday I posted examples of voter fraud from just 2 states that amounted to almost 100,000 instances of voter fraud, and here you are claiming its impossible that it could happen here in Maine. And to top it all off, the party with a well-deserved reputation for voter fraud and cheating just became the minority here in Maine. Sounds to me like a prescription for voter fraud to happen here. We would be prudent to be aware of that possibility instead of ignoring it and denying it exists.

  • Anonymous

    I dont get the rabid denials that any voter fraud has taken place in this country. Its happened all over the place. At least 14 states, and thats just ACORN. And yet here you are acting like we’re wanting to pass a law barring unicorns from voting. This isnt fantasy land. Yesterday I posted examples of voter fraud from just 2 states that amounted to almost 100,000 instances of voter fraud, and here you are claiming its impossible that it could happen here in Maine. And to top it all off, the party with a well-deserved reputation for voter fraud and cheating just became the minority here in Maine. Sounds to me like a prescription for voter fraud to happen here. We would be prudent to be aware of that possibility instead of ignoring it and denying it exists.

  • Anonymous

    I dont get the rabid denials that any voter fraud has taken place in this country. Its happened all over the place. At least 14 states, and thats just ACORN. And yet here you are acting like we’re wanting to pass a law barring unicorns from voting. This isnt fantasy land. Yesterday I posted examples of voter fraud from just 2 states that amounted to almost 100,000 instances of voter fraud, and here you are claiming its impossible that it could happen here in Maine. And to top it all off, the party with a well-deserved reputation for voter fraud and cheating just became the minority here in Maine. Sounds to me like a prescription for voter fraud to happen here. We would be prudent to be aware of that possibility instead of ignoring it and denying it exists.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    You’ve posted repeatedly about ACORN and widespread “voter fraud”. Voter registration fraud is a serious issue (albeit one that has not been a problem here in Maine). It takes valuable time and resources for municipalities and Secretary of State’s offices to validate voter registrations, so falsified registrations waste money. However, registration fraud does NOT equal voting fraud. Please show proof that anyone actually tried- let alone succeeded- in using a fake registration to VOTE.  Perpetrators would risk prison time for an uncertain chance of swaying an election; even if someone is of a criminal persuasion, the cost/benefit ratio doesn’t make sense. And to do it on a larger scale would involve conspiracy and a higher risk of getting caught. Can you supply any evidence- not speculation- of widespread voter fraud AT THE POLLS? 
    We have safeguards in place to prevent voter fraud, and they’ve worked well. This law will discourage large numbers of potential voters to fix a hypothetical and improbable problem.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    You’ve posted repeatedly about ACORN and widespread “voter fraud”. Voter registration fraud is a serious issue (albeit one that has not been a problem here in Maine). It takes valuable time and resources for municipalities and Secretary of State’s offices to validate voter registrations, so falsified registrations waste money. However, registration fraud does NOT equal voting fraud. Please show proof that anyone actually tried- let alone succeeded- in using a fake registration to VOTE.  Perpetrators would risk prison time for an uncertain chance of swaying an election; even if someone is of a criminal persuasion, the cost/benefit ratio doesn’t make sense. And to do it on a larger scale would involve conspiracy and a higher risk of getting caught. Can you supply any evidence- not speculation- of widespread voter fraud AT THE POLLS? 
    We have safeguards in place to prevent voter fraud, and they’ve worked well. This law will discourage large numbers of potential voters to fix a hypothetical and improbable problem.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    You’ve posted repeatedly about ACORN and widespread “voter fraud”. Voter registration fraud is a serious issue (albeit one that has not been a problem here in Maine). It takes valuable time and resources for municipalities and Secretary of State’s offices to validate voter registrations, so falsified registrations waste money. However, registration fraud does NOT equal voting fraud. Please show proof that anyone actually tried- let alone succeeded- in using a fake registration to VOTE.  Perpetrators would risk prison time for an uncertain chance of swaying an election; even if someone is of a criminal persuasion, the cost/benefit ratio doesn’t make sense. And to do it on a larger scale would involve conspiracy and a higher risk of getting caught. Can you supply any evidence- not speculation- of widespread voter fraud AT THE POLLS? 
    We have safeguards in place to prevent voter fraud, and they’ve worked well. This law will discourage large numbers of potential voters to fix a hypothetical and improbable problem.

  • Anonymous

    So there is a “large” number of voters who cant manage to get registered yet still wish to vote? Im sorry but Im calling B.S. on that one. You only have to register once (with an ID) and then you are all set. Its not like persons have to register each year. Its a one-time thing. I think its time to give up the bleeding-heart sob-story about how “large” numbers of people wont be able to vote. Not buying it. Not at all. And since an ID is required to REGISTER, it shouldnt be a monumental task to require one to vote. That would definately prevent voter fraud, and yet, you dont want that either. Seems like your going to an awful lot of trouble to keep the status quo, even though that ensures that voter fraud can still happen. Obviously you on the left will continue to try and enable voter fraud because its how you win elections. And we on the right will hold your feet to the fire and will keep passing bills to safeguard our election process. Good luck overturning it, because even if you do we’ll just pass another version of it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    Your link for voter fraud at the polls?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1643335372 Bethany Reynolds

    Your link for voter fraud at the polls?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Edward-Lachowicz/100000535475609 Edward Lachowicz

    You can’t prove a negative.

  • Anonymous

    “ The point Im trying to make is that voter fraud is a real concern.”

    Not to admit you were plain wrong ?

    It would have been so refreshing from a conservative.
    I was foolishly hoping for some honor in
    GOTea Party politics.
    Silly, me.

  • Anonymous

    “Prove he’s wrong.”    

    Not here is why we conservatives are right ?

    There is the result of thinking Creationism as is the same as biology…
     and that you reduce the defefic and balance the budget, like when Clinton was POTIUS,
    but still  keep Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy.

    The conservative are winning the international corporate race  to the bottom.

    Hurrah for their home schooled side, huh ?

     
     

ADVERTISEMENT | Grow your business

Marketplace Coupons

ADVERTISEMENT | Grow your business