AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine secretary of state’s office is running low on a type of voter registration card used by candidates, political parties and civic organizations to conduct voter registration drives.
The secretary of state’s elections division says the registration card shortage is the result of unfortunate timing, but the Maine Democratic Party says the lack of cards during a campaign season raises “red flags” about Secretary of State and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Charlie Summers.
The shortage came to light last week when Colleen Lachowicz, a Democratic state Senate candidate from Waterville, requested 250 registration cards from the secretary of state’s office and was told she could only have 50 since the office was running low.
Lachowicz said she planned to have the cards on hand for North End Night, a neighborhood festival last Wednesday in Waterville.
“I thought I would run into a lot of people who would want to register to vote,” she said.
The secretary of state’s policy for distributing voter registration cards allows legislative candidates to request up to 1,000 registration cards a week, with a 5,000-card limit for the election cycle. Statewide candidates and political parties can request up to 2,000 cards per week, with a 10,000-card limit for the election cycle.
“They’re breaking their own policy,” said Lizzy Reinholt, a spokeswoman for the Maine Democratic Party.
Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn, who runs the secretary of state’s elections bureau, said the bureau started running low on registration cards in advance of the June 12 primary. But before a new batch could be ordered from the printer, staff members needed to clarify instructions that deal with a voter’s previous registration address. On top of that, according to Flynn, bureau staff have been busy administering elections and tabulating results.
“This is something we do every time,” Flynn said. “It’s just the timing is running short. We’re not going to make changes and reprint until we get low on our supply.”
And it’s rare for the secretary of state’s office to run low on registration cards this early in an election season, Flynn said.
“It caught us a little unaware that folks would want to be going out this soon before the November election doing these drives,” she said.
Flynn said the elections division will deliver the new registration card file to the printer on Friday, and the office should have a new supply of 100,000 cards in time for the second week of July.
On Friday, she said, the secretary of state also will post a file of the updated registration card on its website for candidates and organizations to download and print. Cities and towns also may accept a federal voter registration form from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Regardless of the level of demand, Reinholt, of the Maine Democratic Party, said the secretary of state’s office should always be prepared to fulfill requests for voter registration cards.
“Whether there’s demand or not, it shouldn’t really matter if we’re following the protocol that they’ve set forth,” she said.
And while Summers has handed over management of elections to Flynn in an attempt to avoid a conflict of interest as he runs for the Senate, Reinholt said Summers is ultimately responsible for the card flap.
“Is it yet again another example of him making it harder to vote?” Reinholt said, referring to Summers’ support for ending same-day voter registration and his investigation last year into voter fraud by Maine college students and noncitizens.
The director for Summers’ Senate campaign referred all questions on the voter registration card shortage to the secretary of state’s office. Flynn denied that the registration card shortage had anything to do with Summers or a policy shift at the secretary of state’s office, calling the timing for printing registration cards “purely an administrative function.”
“It’s nothing more than a timing issue and wanting to make an improvement before we go out and print 100,000 cards,” she said.
Why are these not online, and downloadable? It makes more sense than going to a printing house and PAYING to print them.
They are online. But the Dems are more worried about making this a negative story for Republicans rather than doing something that makes sense.
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/reg-card-11-08.pdf
So, one must have use of a computer to vote? I thought all one had to be was a citizen.
……………………
The White House is doing all it can to eliminate that requirement.
how so? last time I check illegals can not vote.
Yeah, and without having to show I.D., you cannot tell if they are illegal or not.
You mean the corporate toadie TeaPublicans who are nothing but a subsidiary of their corporate job-killing masters and who worship at the alter of FAKE-News and the druggie college dropout Rush Limpmind? A negative store for them? Any negative story these fools draw they have drawn for themselves. Summers is a joke and won’t be elected dog catcher, and come November the TeaToadies are TOAST at the voting booth. So enjoy your TeaFool Party while you can, because Mainers have had enough of their nonsense and the rational majority are going to send them packing in a big way in the fall. And they know it. And so do you.
Someone has issues.
Son of a gun. You are right! What a waste of newspaper space.
If they are online and can be printed, what excuse does the Secretary of State’s office have for not providing them like they are supposed to? I’m sure the office has printers, but instead of clicking “print” when someone requests some, they are saying “we’re all out”?
Elections are the responsibility of the Office of the Secretary of State, so the printing of adequate numbers of registration cards and ballots falls under their jurisdiction.
According to the article, the SOS office needed to clarify language on the forms so that is supposedly why they have not yet printed them. Given that it is an election year, one would think that they would have seen to printing in say, the fall of last year rather than waiting to do it till now. They should always have adequate numbers of cards in stock. If they don’t it sounds to me as though they are not well managed. All across the nation, Republican governors and legislators have been doing every thing they can to suppress voting rights of certain citizens. Given Summers’ enthusiastic support for efforts to suppress voting rights in Maine, it should and does raise flags when there is an appearance of such an effort going in what appears to be a less blatant or more subtle way.
another way to short change the maine voters and build up a lead for the friends of the lawmakers
——-
“This is something we do every time,” Flynn said. “It’s just the timing is running short. We’re not going to make changes and reprint until we get low on our supply.”
ahh, julie it sounds like you are getting low. i could find a printer tomorrow am that could deliver these to augusta on friday.
with that said, this is how the D’s operate; no focus on issues what so ever just trying to take the voters eyes off the ball.
um…this is being done by the Rs and disputed by the Ds. awkward.
You must be referring to issues like codifying Whoopie pies, artwork removal or whatever the fools at the Heritage Foundation come up with.
Just another campaign stunt by the Democrats. I bet the SOS office has the same printing schedule every year for registration cards, yet just because the Dems are mad that Charlie Summers is going to crush the pickle lady in November, they are making this his fault. Go cry in your corner and reflect on the 40 years of terrible leadership that caused the mess the GOP are doing a great job fixing.
Yup, and at the end of it all, they’ll come out and say, “Gee, guys, we found a whole bunch of cards we accidently lost.”
If it weren’t for all those college students who were really from out of state who voted in Maine last election, there would have been lots of registration cards,right Charley?
Ya, keep dreaming. Your FAKE-News Rush Limpmind TeaRadical party is going to come to a screeching halt in November. That joke Summers won’t be elected dog catcher, and the rest of your corporate toadie job killing TeaRadicals are going to get run out of Augusta on a rail come November. And just watch how many of them run for cover and refuse to be seen on the campaign trail with LeBUFFOON, that fool who a walking embarassment to this state and a disgrace to the Blaine House.
Is one of the classes for you left wingers “name calling 101”? You are really good at it and I’ll bet it even sounds funny to you but it shows your ignorance to the rest of us.
You’re hilarious!
And this is supposed to stop the bickering in Augusta? A nice, respectful person would’ve received their 50, understood that there was a shortage at the time, and had gone back when they printed more. But this just shows how the Democrats are focused more on creating a story and reeking havoc in Augusta rather than fixing anything.
This is an election year. There is no excuse. Summers is incompetent.
crooked…
Yup, keep defending the corporate lying TeaToadies while you still can because come November these horrible TeaRadicals are TOAST at the voting booth.
Why would she go back and get more when the event she was getting them for was over? This close to an election, registration cards should be abundant. There is no reasonable excuse for this.
Too funny!
If you took your tin foil hat off Susan you wouldn’t be sizzlin’.
A nice respectful person would have just rolled over and played dead, right? How about this. A respectful and competent Secretary of State would see that his offices fulfill the obligations and responsibilities that fall under their purview.
This is an election year. During an election year, there is always a push to register voters. The SOS office must have some sort of metric for determining if there are enough cards on hand, and if they don’t, it is piss-poor management. They apparently have a policy with respect to the numbers of cards that they give out to organizations and candidates registering voters so when they do not have adequate supplies, they are not even adhering to their own policy which again indicates either poor management or something more underhanded. They should have enough cards to fulfill their stated policy and some printed out prior to the election cycle, not when it is in full swing.
It is not just Democrats who are concerned about cards, but other organizations that have traditionally done voter registration drives; e.g., the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, unions, and other organizations or individuals. How is this not an important story? When people are trying to register voters, they need the cards and it is the responsibility of the office of the Secretary of State to provide those cards. And, if they can have the new card ready to print off online, that shows that something is wrong at the office. When it comes time to vote, will they have enough ballots printed?
This is not a Democratic Party issue, but a citizen’s rights issue. Charlie Summers and Republicans made quite a point of trying to subvert voting rights with elimination of same-day voter registration, the phony voter fraud issue and other legislative efforts to make voting more difficult. It is legitimate to question what is going on and the motivations that may be driving it. It is definitely a front page news story. Citizens need to know that 1) they may have difficulty getting registration cards from the Secretary of State’s office; 2) Summers is an incompetent manager or may be actively trying to suppress citizens rights again. And, as Summers is a candidate for the US Senate, it makes it even more of a front page news story.
If Summers’ administration of the department he was in charge of is any indication of his competency to represent the people of this state in the Senate, the Republicans have shot themselves in the foot by offering him up as a candidate. I suspect, however, that this “oversight” was perfectly timed to meet his Tea Party obligations of quashing the vote of those who can see the folly of Tea Party ideology. It would certainly be in character for this Chicken Little that ran around screaming voter fraud last year. All he really did was waste a bunch of time and money trying to find something that didn’t exist. This is so blatant it’s ridiculous. Three to one odds that republican candidates got their full allotments.
Shocking and outrageous this could happen. Unforgivable. Inexcuseable. That surely takes him way down in my respect as a Secretary of State and a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Mooselake..I think we should get any accounting of party bia sin the distribution of cards.
Just wait until those same Federal registration form’s, and the downloaded one’s from the SOS’s Office, are ‘suddenly’ challenged for legality when the election result’s are on the verge of being declared final and official. Think Florida and ‘hanging chad’ crap. And that the SOS is only now finding that they are running low on registration forms is nothing less than a laughable pile of moosepoop. This need for registration form’s was clearly seen in any area of the media that covered this issue and should have been seen as a reason to get more prior to this. I’m wondering just how long it’s going to take before this whole thing wind’s up in the Court’s ? Given the mood of the Country, and the recent ruling’s by many of the Court’s, this one is gonna be a real eyeopener for a huge number of voter’s as to just how much manipulation is going to be tried in the Court’s to steer the ‘official election result’s’. Florida is on the verge of having Federal Election Monitor’s in place after their last attempt at voting and their now infamous ‘cleaning up’ of their voting roll’s. Maine, courtesy of this mess, is not that far behind.
As always Mike spoken with eloquence, clarity, and simple truth. I think it is important to stay on Charlie Summers on this until we have all the answers and more importantly an immediate and adequate supply of registration cards for all voter registration workers.
We can’t let this be one time story. We have to stay on it.
the dems must be pretty worried to stoop to this level. i’ve read a number of your comments in the past, but this is well below even your usual twist
Twist no. But after spending 25+ years in DC as a LEO I have seen to what length’s both bureaucratic and political ‘power junkie’s’ will go to keep that ‘fix’ going. We all saw the election ‘fix’ applied in Florida. Look at the mess they’re in now. The just announced DC 9 Montana decision is now out. Unless you are completely braindead this decision, and it’s effect’s, are all but inevitable. The same can be said for the lack of responsible foresight and planning that is being felt now here in Maine.
Unless we have all fallen down a very deep hole, the need for voter registration has become a prime issue with both Party’s. But given the recent hoopla over what is a ‘Qualified Voter’, the question that goes begging is a simple one. Which Party, or part of which Party, benefit’s most from restricting, or denying thru WHATEVER MEANS, the voter’s from registering and casting their ballot ? Again, the truth may not be pretty but it has the benefit of being there for all to see and be beyond any shadow of doubt putting the truth of what was looked for out for all to see and judge. That’s what transparency in the electoral process is all about. It’s about time that it was applied here in Maine. Who knows, maybe we can start a trend. It would be nice to see Maine lead the way, as oppossed to needing massive amounts of CHARMIN to clean up afterwards.
Stoop to what level? Reporting on the incompetence of the Secretary of State’s Office regarding voter registration cards? What if they don’t print out enough ballots? Will you see that as some minor problem not worth discussion as well?
You buy what the thoroughly corrupt Eric Holder is selling?
I’ve got a house in Florida I’d love to sell you.
How long has Eric Holder been Secretary of State in Maine? I must have missed that little news gem.
No, I’ve already seen 1st hand what Holder’s idea of a gun sting is and actually managed to live thru it. His time as US Attorney in DC is magically being forgotten by a great many. More so’s the tragedy since this wasn’t the 1st time that someone got killed because of this nonsense being allowed to go on for political purpose’s. Not to get off track but Issa’s wrong in asking for stuff that’s clearly part of on-going investgation’s, especially wiretap application’s and CI file’s. Issa should know better. But one has to wonder why Issa’s not going out after voter fraud with as much effort as F&F has gotten ?
Oh please! Like you were ever considering him to begin with.
You cannot say that voter fraud does not exist. Any logician will tell you that one cannot prove a negative. It is, however, very difficult to determine, especially when this state lacks a voter ID requirement.
We do know that there are over 12 million people in this country illegally. What is to stop them from voting? Not bloody much.
In February, the Pew Center’s study revealed that voter registrations nationwide are full of holes, so one could say that Summers was prescient in conducting an appropriate review of voter registration problems in Maine.
Pew study: 1 in 8 voter records flawedBy Gregory Korte, 2/14/2012
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-02-10/pew-study-inaccurate-voter-registration-rolls/53083406/1
WASHINGTON – More than 24 million voter-registration records in the United States— about one in eight — are inaccurate, out-of-date or duplicates. Nearly 2.8 million people are registered in two or more states, and perhaps 1.8 million registered voters are dead. Those estimates, from a report published today by the non-partisan Pew Center on the States, portray a largely paper-based system that is outmoded, expensive and error-prone.
One thing is fer sure and for certain!
The REPUBLICANS are proving that there is “ELECTION” fraud!
In cased you missed it,the supposed grassroots tea party was actually started by republican DICK Armey,its just more of the same republican crap.
I am sure it is a conspiracy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GBAsFwPglw
Charlie The Lockstep Monster knows how to follow orders!
….
Not true at all. It’s called the Dems know there in trouble!
Ya, keep dreaming. The TeaRadicals like Summers who tried to lie to Mainers about fake voter fraud are going to get SMASHED in November, and you know it.
I’m glad you’re in your own little world and think that voter fraud is fake!
====
All frauds are fakes.
Fact. We do not have a voter fraud problem in Maine. That was the official conclusion after The Two Charlies, Summers and Webster, spent a ton of taxpayer money on their effort to follow the Teabully’s National Stomp The Vote Project.
Do you deny that this same nonsense has been taking place across the nation?
“in trouble” is an understatement
the progressive dems better destroy the internet before the truth it spreads destroys their silly, unsustainable fiefdom
commonsense38..we are all in trouble..and we need an alive awake paying attention civicly engaged populace to get out of it.
We should all be for 100% enrollment and 100% participation by every eligible Maine.
That’s absolutely true. We should all push for 100% participation by eligible voters. And the best way to do that is to encourage people to register to vote at their town office, just like I did when I became eligible the first time. I have transferred my registration every time I have moved. I also registered for selective service when required to do so at age 18. Both registrations are civic duties. But, I never had to worry about whether a candidate delivered a voter registration card to me, or whether I was offered voter registration at the DMV. I got off my butt and took care of myself, instead of waiting for a candidate or their surrogate to spoon feed me. I see this modern delivery method as one more attempt to babysit the idiots who don’t really care about their country enough to give the minimal effort at being involved. And in that case, I feel they shouldn’t participate. If they cant even bother to go to the town office to register, what makes anyone think that they have any interest in becoming educated about the issues. And who wants an uneducated voter casting a ballot? Oh right – those who want to sway their opinions by appearing to be the only choice. Why does anyone conduct voter drives? So they can count on those votes. In the south, campaigns routinely scrounge up voters from “underserved” areas so they can bus them to the polls and get them to vote for their candidate. Ballot box stuffing at its rudimentary best. Legal . . . but not really the best form of civic participation in elections. The more we rely on uninformed voters to sway elections, the more we are led by mob rule. Our founders spoke often about this pitfall of democracy, almost as much as they feared tyranny by the “monarchists” (wealthy). Unfortunately, our democratic Republic is tainted by both.
Hello Ninelake ( is that Lincoln?). Yes, we can all register ourselves at the town hall or DMV and should.
I see voter apathy and alienation on different terms, Ninelake. I see it as a huge malaise and numbness caused by difficult and unimagined circumstances. If people need a little encouragement and a small push to re engage in democracy, I don’t judge them harshly nor do I judge the motives of those willing to volunteer for voter registration drives.
I understand that you see it differently, and in a few cases, I can agree that apathy or alienation plays a part. However, it is very easy to blame the situation – the economy, the political climate, frustration over the debt – for a lack of voter participation. The blame really rests with our leaders – or lack thereof. Voter registration drives, when performed by non-partisan organizations, are a valuable service to our democracy. Unfortunately, the vast majority of voter drives are conducted by partisans, and that inevitably entertains partisan outcomes in the registration process. Democrats conduct drives not for the lofty goal of getting people to vote in general, but for the specific purpose of increasing democratic votes in the election tallies. The same can be said of Republicans. Drives are targeted at specific demographics, right or wrong. The more I participate in elections, and the more informed I become on the history of our great Republic, with the struggles to deliver our founding documents and the establishment of our democratic principles, I become more and more convinced that voter apathy is a symptom of greater issues in our society. Namely, we have become a nation of beneficiaries of the goodwill of others. Our hands are placed in front of us, palm up, with the expectation of some form of benefit from someone else – the government, the wealthy, the “privileged”, the union, the party, etc. etc. When 45% of the populace pays no income tax (and that number is destined to grow), that near-majority are encouraged to vote themselves benefits from the wealthy minority. The incentive to become apathetic is too great, and I don’t see it improving.
Back to the point of the article – the Secretary of State’s office is printing forms in their usual time frame. 100,000 forms will be available in the next 2 weeks. One person ordered 500 forms for an event that likely had the potential to register 5-10 new voters. The basis of the story is flawed. It is a non-issue being used for political purposes by a “free” press.
Speaking of the “free” press, I long for the days of Ben Franklin and his ilk, writing editorials and convincing the populace of their position through educated discourse. I also would note for the benefit of the readers that Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and other contemporaries had the habit of writing with pseudonyms, such as Publius, or “Silence Dogood”, to maintain a level of anonymity and to allow the persuasion of the argument to have its best effect, as opposed to lending their rather famous personages to the discussion. I laugh when various commenters on these pages try to convince people to use their real names, as a way of “outing” the writer or as a way of hushing an otherwise persuasive argument, as if being anonymous were a crime.
Subject: [bdn] Re: Secretary of state office has voter registration card shortage; Dems blame Charlie Summers
Hi Ninelakes..I do hear you and agree that voter registration drives are hardly free of shenanigans..sadly..
Not sure if your comment about using real names is directed at me. I choose that because Iseek here to have clarity and transparency and people can easily google me if they want to know who I am and how I have lived my life.
I don’t judge anyone else for choosing a “nom de plume”. Isn’t Lincoln the town of nine lakes? ( My grandfather, Thad W. Bowker, was superintendent of the mill there during the depression and until his retirement in 1950) I lived there until I was seven and go back once a year to tend the family graves..
Lindsay
The real names comments wasn’t directed at you. And I appreciate the open discussion . . . Ninelake is a little further north of Lincoln.
Subject: [bdn] Re: Secretary of state office has voter registration card shortage; Dems blame Charlie Summers
Ninelake wrote, “45% of the populace pays no income tax (and that number is destined to grow”–the people you are referring to are not required to pay income taxes because their income is EXTREMELY LOW.
You are right that their numbers are increasing. You are wrong that they are somehow luckie duckies to have so little income that they don’t pay taxes.
Republicans keep pushing for two things:
1) reduce taxes for millionaires and billionaires
2) force extremely impoverished people to pay taxes.
A person whose annual income is, say a million dollars pays about $150,000 in taxes if his income is from hedge funds (roughly half the tax rate of the average working class or middle class person). He has about $850,000 per year leftover to play with. If he paid at the rate you and I pay, he’d still have about $700,000 leftover to cover necessities. Poor baby!
A person whose annual income is, say, $20,000 pays no income tax. If Republicans manage to make him pay tax, he’ll pay about $7000 in tax, leaving him $13,000 to cover necessities.
Perhaps the 45% of people who are extremely poor should work a little harder to not be so extremely poor. Republicans are pushing for increased incomes for everyone – not just the wealthy. The more people who earn money, the more consumers we would have in our economy, and the better off we would all be. That is the misinformation that is perpetrated by a liberal media – that somehow the wealthy want everyone else to be poor. Wealthy people understand that wealth is generated through production and consumption. No money means no consumption, and no production.
Poor baby? Really? Let’s see . . . without that “poor baby” $1,000,000 earner, there would be no one to buy significant goods and services, let alone pay taxes for the rest of the populace. Without that $1,000,000 earner paying his or her $150,000 in taxes on passive income – which, by the way has been taxed at the corporate level already – who would pay for the functions of government? Better yet, if no one is buying anything, no one would eat. Poor baby, indeed! Open an economics book and actually learn some of the concepts before you comment on tax and economic policy. The wealthy prefer others who are wealthy and contributing to our economy, as opposed to slackers sitting on their couches, smoking pot and complaining about people who earn a living and who apparently owe them something. Instead of invoking class warfare, encourage entrepreneurship and savings and investment. And good, hard work. It starts at home and in school. It starts with parents who give their children opportunities and expectations. It takes a reversal of the past 50 years of “me, me, me.” It takes two parents to raise a child – not a village. It takes teachers who are committed to teaching and creating success stories, as opposed to education PACs and unions watching out for lifelong teaching benefits. In short, the 45% should want to pay taxes – to participate in the success of their nation. Oh wait, most of them don’t really care unless it affects them directly, now, today, in a tangible way. Most of the “99%” care about the immediate payoff and have very little regard for the long-term future. It has been ingrained in them by media and society over the past 3 generations. Not since WWII has this nation been asked, and responded willingly, to sacrifice anything.
Subject: [bdn] Re: Secretary of state office has voter registration card shortage; Dems blame Charlie Summers
Such a shame that is doesn’t occur to desperately poor people simply to “earn more money”!
You seem certain that, despite a sky-high unemployment rate, everyone could just grab a well-paying job. You’re eager to blame poverty on the poor, and to slander all impoverished people as lazy “slackers” who won’t get up off the couch.
You are clearly very fond of millionaires. Yet they don’t spend their fortunes in our local communities, with rare exceptions.
It’s ordinary workers and middle class citizens who spend locally, supporting whatever business you work for. You know–those union members and public employees you love to see laid off, and then you want to deny them unemployment benefits, and those retired people whose pensions and Social Security you’d like to slash, and even the disabled local people whose SSI and MaineCare you want to demolish. Less and less and less money being spent locally if you succeed. That puts your own job at risk, but you won’t recognize that until you join the ranks of the unemployed.
Since this is typical “conservative” thinking, I can just shake my head, as I know that it can’t be changed by presenting facts.
Facts? Sure, please do continue to simply shake your head at my obvious conservative thinking, since I can’t possibly be swayed by facts. Stereotype much? I didn’t suggest that all poor people are poor by choice. I didn’t suggest that the sky-high unemployment rate – actually, it’s roughly 50% higher than normal, as compared to the situation in Greece, where 25% unemployment is now the norm – is not of concern. What I did suggest is your idea of the growing minority of non-taxpayers somehow deserving a redistribution of wealth is off base. There are very few “poor” in this country. If you want to see “poor” people, I suggest you take a trip to India or Cambodia. Then compare the working “poor” of the US and the safety net that provides for their every need and some of their wants, and talk to me about “poor.” The disdain in your comments toward the wealthy belies the true nature of your advocacy – you simply feel it is unfair that wealthy people are wealthy and poor people are poor, and you wish to change that. Unfortunately, what has been proven to be true is that you could redistribute all of the money equally, and in a few years, we would have a few wealthy and a lot of poor – based on risks, choices, and motivations. That doesn’t change the desire that many have for everyone to earn and pay their fair share. We simply have very different definitions of fair.
Subject: [bdn] Re: Secretary of state office has voter registration card shortage; Dems blame Charlie Summers
I’ve seen other conservatives point out that, to them, no American’s poverty counts unles they’re living in a mud hut and cooking over a wood fire on a plain dirt yard… and, thus, social services of any type constitute coddling layabout whiners.
I agree with you that you and I have “different definitions”– of many things! And very different priorities.
Class warfare has already happened. The ultra-rich won.
///\
The safety net is looking to be dismantled in this country? I see no evidence that our safety net is looking to be dismantled. I haven’t heard a single politician suggest dismantlng the safety net. I have heard a lot of folks suggest that the safety net is attempting to “catch” more people than it can possibly sustain, and that discussion has led pragmatic people to look toward a future where fewer people are made to rely on that safety net. “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” I believe very strongly that both liberals and conservatives want to implement this approach. The trouble seems to be in how. And yes, it is valid to compare the US to a third world country when discussing “poor” people. You are absolutely correct in saying that there is no excuse for anyone to go hungry in this country. The only reasons that exist are intentional malice or an abundance of pride.
Subject: [bdn] Re: Secretary of state office has voter registration card shortage; Dems blame Charlie Summers
If Republicans are pushing for higher incomes for everyone why do they continue to try to get rid of minimum wage laws? One of our State Republican congreeswomen even put an editorial in the BDN trying to convince us that minimum wage laws were actually bad for poor people. The only incomes that the Republicans are dedicated to increasing are for those already at the top of the heap.
Well stated…..
I’m more likely to believe someone has common sense when they can at least spell check or have a basic understanding of English. Here’s a quick lesson for you….they’re or they are in trouble is certainly not accurate but would be appropriate use of our language. The onlytemporary trouble is uneducated lemmings spending too much time listening to pea party radio instead of reading a book. We shall overcome.
” Poor excuse and a foolish thing to say, nothing but an attempt to keep people from voting.”
Actually they ran low on the cards. It is June and there will be plenty of time to get the million or so new democrats all registered to vote in the various places they will be taken to vote.
Given the amount of interest in the coming election they should have been prepared. I for one can’t WAIT to vote.
Can you offer up evidence of even one voter who is being bussed around the state to vote?
===
its just funny that this is exactly what they wanted, people to get out and register before the vote. If they wanted to make the argument that we have plenty of time to register before the election so we should now have same day registration, they are not doing a very good job.
Taken to voter?
But Charlie Webster hidden all the buses at the Farmington Wal-Mart.
Sigh.
Then, things got weirder.
Completely abandoning his first assertions that Democrats were illegally driving groups of people to the polls on election day, Webster bragged to Sun Journal editor Scott Thistle that he actually knew they hadn’t, because he had taken the UMF student vans and hidden them.
“Guess what happened in 2010?” Webster said. “The buses didn’t run on Election Day because we had the College Republicans reserve them early and on Election Day we took them over and parked them in the Walmart parking lot.”
http://www.downeast.com/the-tipping-point/2011/august/maine-political-conspiracy
Just when I think I’ve heard everything. There is plenty of bs coming from Summers’ office, but perish the idea he’d have enough registration cards. We can only hope that any future printing involves using a Maine firm, unlike when the hunting and fishing regulations booklets were printed in Massachusetts. Quite the bunch we have in Augusta.
it’s a bid process. they go with the low bidder. i see both sides of this argument but if you gave a premium to made in maine products you’d have issue there as well.
Aren’t voter reg reg cards available on-line to be downloaded??…..I didn’t realize voting day was pressing on us…..remember November is a few months away folks……no story here, just more drama….
Have you ever tried printing out 1,000 forms. Or even 250?
Excellent point Ybrad..People assisting with voter registration should have adequate supplies of cards..especially in such a critical election year where voter suppression has been so much in the news.
Printing on line is for individul use. It is intended for or practical for use by civic groups assisting in voter registration.
I think Charlie’s office should print out and distribute on demand until they have replenished their card supply to adequate levels. I think Charlie himself should do it as a volunteer right after he resigns from office.
Well yes I actually have…..and it certainly isn’t a speedy process on a small home printer and can be costly for the ink but the job can get done……she asked for 250 cards, got 50, could have printed off a couple hundred no problem….or maybe she should have called the municipal office in Waterville where they maybe had a supply….just a thought…..
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Could you point me to the “policy” that has been violated here?? Are there supposed to be a particular number of cards available?? The “policy” states that candidates can request cards in writing…..is this the “policy” that wasn’t followed??
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When one states “they should have followed policy” then the observation is that the said policy was claimed to have been “violated”…..I looked at the policy and see that when requesting the VRC’s in large volume a candidate must do so in writing….with that said there is nothing noted about keeping a certain amount of cards on hand at any one time nor if the office has to immediately supply such large requests….the article clearly states that there is an issue with the current template and the staff wants to address said issue before printing cards that may be useless and trashed…..the article again clearly indicates why they are behind in doing this due to the recent votings….again, clearly states the correction will be done this week and the VRC’s will be available in early July 4 months prior to said election….just say’in, blowing a lot of political smoke IMHO……
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“it certainly isn’t a speedy process on a small home printer and can be costly for the ink ”
You are correct when you say the printer ink is costly. Why should tax payers go through the expense of printing hundreds of cards when these cards should be available from the state for free?
The story is that they tried to take away same day voter registration because people had plenty of time to vote, now this same administration is running low on voting cards. Its just funny as heck.
Oh, what a coincidence. The party that tries to limit voter registration is running low on registration cards! Charlie and his flunkies aren’t just incompetent; they’re down-right corrupt. “About as corrupt as you can get.” (Guess who?)
He can’t be corrupt, the govenor only said that middle management was corrupt.I mean who would ever check to see that voter registration cards might be running low in the summer before an upcoming election? Do you suppose he got his full allotment though?
Keeping in mind ‘politician’ in recent years has become a four letter word.
Isn’t it strange how an office run by a man who has tried his darnedest over the past couple of years to make it more difficult for folks here in Maine to vote all of a sudden runs out of cards that people use to register to vote. Ms. Flynn even admits that she knew that the Secretary of State’s Office was running out of voter registration cards, but they were just too busy to order a new batch. Give me a break. That bull about having to clarify instructions dealing with a voter’s former address sounds like exactly that to me BULL. One of the other statements made by Ms. Flynn is also troubling,
“It caught us a little unaware that folks would want to be going out this soon before the November election doing these drives,” she said. Is Ms. Flynn on some type of either prescribed or other drug? With the political climate that exist in this State folks can’t wait for November to get here. Even Paul LePage who isn’t up for re-election until 2014 is holding fund raisers. No Ms. Flynn your excuses don’t pass the straight face test. Either the not having made arrangements to have voter registration cards available was planned, or it was caused by incompetence. Either way it sure doesn’t make it sound good for Charlie Summers.
Summers doesn’t have a chance to be elected dog catcher, and the corporate TeaToadies are TOAST come November.
Is that the best you can come up with and just throwing out names? You must live a sheltered life!
I hate to burst your bubble but Julie Flynn was put in by your corrupt buddy Angus King and re-appointed by your other corrupt one you love so much Baldy. So you might want to blame them for hiring her. But I know we get it . It’s always Paul LePage’s fault for everything . That is the only excuse you Liberals have it’s nobody else’s fault except Paul LePage or Republicans.
Darkcat the level of ignorance you have displayed in this reply to my comment is appalling. First off Angus King is not my buddy. I met the man once at the University of Maine prior to a graduation exercise over ten years ago. . As far as Baldacci is concerned I have stated to you on numerous occasions that I told him to his face that I thought he should have been thrown in jail for the sale of the State Liquor system at fire sale prices. I personally could care less who appointed Ms. Flynn. I know bull leavings when I see them and that is exactly what Ms Flynn was peddling. But the largest reason that I feel you are totally ignorant as far as your reply to my posting is that I , for once, was not at all critical of Paul LePage in my comment. All I said was that he has held fund raisers. In fact you are the one who said , ”
It’s always Paul LePage’s fault for everything.” Those, Darkcat, are your words, not mine.
Actually,
The Level of Ignorance is “Extraordinary”!!
Well, I’m sure you blame Gov. Baldacci for everything that went wrong while he was governor, whether he was responsible or not. But that’s OK, because he was a “liberal”? right?
Darkca33t you may be wrong in your characterization of friend 4mermainer’s relationship with King and Baldacci, and he/she has spoken on that. I have to say you are right on your point that King & Baldacci have their own long lists of things to make account on. We all need to think beyond party ideology and party bias if we are going to fight our way out of this big dark tunnel we are in.
So you must mean that Flynn has very round heels and will turn on a dime to serve any master just to hang on to her job.
Ok, I’ll buy that.
Remember when it was Baldacci’s problem? Sound familiar?
Of course the Dems will say this so they can try to smear him before the election. I hope ALL the democrats get what they deserve on election day!
“I hope ALL the democrats get what they deserve on election day!”
You mean landslide victories?
They will get what they deserve in the form of winning elections here in Maine anyway!
It makes no sense that a person running for elected office can oversee the elections. This guy needs to step aside until the outcome of his election is resolved.
Ansolutely Bangorian..he should resign as Secretary of State..
The RepubliCAN’T Party:CAN’T govern
CAN’T plan a war
CAN’T tell the truth
CAN’T stop spending
CAN’T stop pampering the rich
CAN’T stop corporate welfare
CAN’T keep voter registration cards in stock
lol you’re too funny, yeah the Democrats are all so honest and caring! Boy you must live in your own little world!
Yes, he should join you in Fox land.
Yes and MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, are all so much better. Oh and you must be a big Andrea Mitchell fan. Maybe you can join her and slander some candidates! Oh and I forgot the Clinton News Network!
So, you have just agreed with me, in your round about Foxish way. I’ve no idea who Andre Mitchell is.
it’s called the progressive democrat echo chamber, also known as “academia” and the “public education (indoctrination)” system
Uncle Pauly couldn’t even tell you what the difference between a republic and a democracy is….that’s how terribly uneducated he and his like-minded friends truly are…
I’ve read plenty of your posts and believe me I’m NOT insulted by your words, you have my pity.
“Academia” (otherwise known as college). “Public education” (as in, schools that are overseen by communities, not owned by for-profit corporations).
Gosh, the Republicans throw out some really scary words… scary to them.
Yeah, intelligent people totally blow dude.
“Common Sense” you call yourself? Hmmm… TeaPublican “common sense” like:
* Thinking dinosaurs lived 6000 years ago.
* Thinking the President is from another country.
* Thinking human activity has no impact upon global warming.
* Giving even more job killing budget busting tax giveaways to billionaires.
* Celebrating the outsourcing of American jobs wherever and whenever possible.
* Nominating a walking phony prez candidate who made it his life’s work killing US jobs so he could profit bigtime.
* Celebrating a foul-mouthed bully governor who shames this state with his every word.
* Throwing people, including children, off health plans for whatever reason the insurance co. wants.
* Taking Clinton’s multi-years of surplus and squandering every penny, exploding the debt, killing jobs, flattening wages, and causing the Great Recession.
That kind of “common sense”? Come November in Maine, say buh-bye to your TeaRadicals in Augusta. They are TOAST !
Dinosaurs living 6000 years ago is a Tea Party Republican thing?
The Republican’s hold sway over the Christians, and they think the Earth is only 6,000 years old. That point is one of those guilty by association things.
Actually, I think the more fundamentalist Christians have sway over the Rs, which is a real problem for many of us in the Party. Nice to know I’m guilty by association, tho. Do you happily line up with the Weather Underground and people who spike trees or throw blood on a woman wearing fur? Because I certainly do not support anyone who wants my kids taught that the earth is 8000 years old, killing some doctors is okay, and that Muslims don’t get freedom of religion because they “weren’t here” when the Constitution was written.
Another ignorant rant that is pointless and directly from MSNBC. I like how you take credit for the good and blame republicans for the bad. I wonder how Maine got to be so bad because we were run by your incompetent liberal democrats for forty years or is the past 42 years all Paul LePages fault?
What I like about Charlie is that he’s so photogenic! He’s always lookin’ smug for his mugshots. I’m really going to miss him when he resigns from office over his conflict of interest due to also running for Senate. I’m sure he’s just waiting to make sure that the voter registration cards are all replenished before he steps down because he’s such a thoughtful and helpful guy!
Anyone can download and print the current registration card – the one the SoS is passing out in limited quantities – here:
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/reg-card-11-08.pdf
Why did you post this??? I love hearing the lefties whine.
How would you react if Democrats used their offices to suppress likely Republican voters?
Nobody is supressing a person’s right to vote.
Yes, one must have a computer and printer to vote in Maine. How democratic. And to think I thought one simply had to be a citizen.
No, you don’t have to own a PC to vote. Your nearest public library can help anyone out.
With a State of just over a million people I find it really hard to believe that that many people need to register to vote. The Democrats must be really hopeful that some illegals migrate north!
Oh yes, the “illegals” LIE and DELUSION surfaces once again from the party of “common sense.”
It is the party of NO sense whatsoever. What a pathetic JOKE TeaPublicans are.
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Stealing a democratic process is no easy task, better to look like a fumble fingered lackey then a genuine goose-stepper.
Shortage my a**!The man is at least dumb and if he gets credit for having any smarts he’s playing dirty political tricks! This is an election year. There is NO EXCUSE for anything that causes a potential inequity in the process. This guy spent forever checking on those “crooked” college kids that did their civic duty and voted instead of working on real issues. He tried to restrict voting rights by not allowing same day registration which was overturned. He appears to be a “win at any costs” candidate that will eventually ruin our political system! How can he be elected to make national decisions when he can’t run state affairs without causing problems and ensuring a fair voting process? If he can’t do something as simple as keeping an adequate supply of forms available he should be resign and let someone with some simple managerial skills do the job.
Now that Mr. Summers is the official Republican candidate for US Senate, when will he do the right thing and step down from his 100K job as he should have done 6 months ago along with the other Constitutional Officers who should have stepped down along with him????
Just another Voter Fraud FIX by the Republicans. These Tea Party Thugs just don’t quit when it comes to Fixing an Election and Voter Suppression.
More 5th grade name calling by the left..Carefull your IQs are showing…LOL…
At least we have one and it is our own. Conservatives have MHPC and Grover proof of low to no IQ.
This has GOP playbook written all over it. They will, when given the chance to govern, deliberately screw up some long standing service or program that they don’t like. They will then point to the fact that it’s now screwed up to show that it’s not working and needs to be either eliminated or in their terms “reformed”. To cover this whole trick up, the blame for the mess will fall on some lower level staffer who dutifully falls on his or her sword and moves on to some lobbying job.
Pay no attention to the man pulling levers behind the curtain folks.
Whether through incompetence or design the government is preventing citizens from voting.
You don’t seem to have a problem with that.
That’s what is astounding.
This one is right out of the ALEC play book. Sounds like simple typical bureaucratic bungling, right? Guess again. If this “oversight” keeps just ten people from registering, because a card inhand with a pen nearby is worth more than any number of ‘forms online’ (know how many Mainers are not/cannot get online?.) then we need to pay more attention to the news:
Mank beats Raye by two votes in Rockland-area House vote June 19, BDN
Every vote counts!
Resign now, Charlie–save us the expense of an impeachment…
Good ole Charlie, straight out of ALEC’s central casting stable.
cant they just send someone downtown to have some printed?
Republicans have their signs printed in Texas and Alabama, they probably need to have the cards printed there as well.
How many of these cards requested by hopeful politicians are taken to an event (like Waterville festival) and end up on the ground or in the nearest trashcan?
And (if true), in what way would that justify not bothering to keep a supply on hand in the central office?
“registration card shortage is the result of unfortunate timing”, This is crap and just another reason we need to rid ourselves of career politicians and bring in new honest folks regardless of the parties.
This is the way they plan it apparently. If they don’t order new cards until the stock runs low, then they always plan to run low. Not the smartest policy.
This is typical dem bull s……….. Julie Flynn has been the Deputy to at least 4 Secretary of States, of both parties, and has run the Elections Division through out. it is part her job to oversee that someone on her staff orders supplies for the election process. NO one here is suggesting that she is at fault here. She said changes are being made to the existing card and once those changes are in place new cards will be ordered, without wasting tax dollars on supplies that would be unusable due to changes.
and now that the current secretary of state is republican, its his job to order supplies, and he alone is preventing people from voting. what a joke.
and nationwide, there is no republican attempt to suppress the vote…..right….. got a bridge in brooklyn to sell to the gullible, you get first bid
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YAWN
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Stop trying to make “sense” out of this horrible situation……
We are on to you, Summers – and the rest of your Teapublican handlers
You will never win by trying to cheat the American people of their most basic right to vote
– no matter how much money is poured into defeating Obama and Democrats.
This is war.
Isn’t this why they can register same day as the election? Just a grousing point.
Summers for Senate
With so many good people out of work why is it we hire these incomptent pretty rich boys and pay them 3 times what the job is worth. Is it really necessary to be a theif and liar to run for political office these days. LePage is proof that stupid is forever.
Summers knows the people of Maine do not want him as their senator so he has to resort to dirty tricks and lies to even have a chance to win.
You people can’t seem to cease your whining. It isn’t gaining you any support.
I would love to know how “early” legislators request cards, and if folks knew the new cards were in the works, and stocks would be low. That’s politics, folks.
NOW…with right or wrong accusations of so-called Voter Suppressions, and trying to be a Senator for all Mainers, I would think Mr. Summers and his staff would be trying avoid such silly traps.
As a candidate, I requested voter registration cards from the Secretary of State’s office in May for the purpose of registering folks who were unregistered in my district. I was advised that they would only provide me with about 100 cards because their supplies were low.
I am at an utter loss to understand why, if at that time supplies were low, more weren’t ordered.
The hallmark of a participatory democracy is participation in the election process. Getting unregistered citizens to register in advance of an election is exactly what every political party and every politically engaged organization should desire.
I’m surprised that all parties and a myriad of Maine organizations aren’t screaming mad about this inexcusable failure on the part of the Maine Secretary of State’s office.
Reading the comments is starting to get unbearable. Theres a conspiracy behind every tree now. I’ll be happy after Nov passes.
Hmmm. Somehow, I have the feeling that Mr Summers, and/or his Election Committee isn’t having any problem getting the cards when they need them.
I agree wholeheartedly with others who posted here before me, and voiced that this fiasco is a horrifying glimpse of Mr Summers’ competency to run his office and it should serve as a forewarning to anyone who thinks he will do a good job as Senator.
“Dems blame Charlie Summers”!!! What the what? If the Secretary of State’s office has allowed itself to run short on registration materials, who else should be blamed?
The BDN seems like its editors have taken a vacation from thinking.
I think you are being too hard on Charlie, I’m just Webster’s twin, Sumner. He most likely was anticipating the planned Republican legislation to bar registration to all but NRA members, Republican Convention participants, and anyone between 40 and 60 who owns a business. It must have been delayed by the Legislature’s attention on reducing jobs in Maine.
Just look around the grave yards i am sure the dems dropped some while gathering names.This tells me we need to watch voting this cycle real close.With the great divider struggling and the gay vote they will be voting early and often.
A MONTH to get the cards!!!! And you didn’t know that!!!! Those cards should have been ordered a month ago to be ready to give out NOW. Dereliction of duty, pure and simple. A great Senate candidate for sure.
What better way to stop illegals from registering to vote!!!
Dems blame the repubs for everything. whats new here.
Obama is yours don’t blame us for that.
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meh
Charlie the Lockstep Monster Strikes Again!
I guess the liberals are getting worried. Just the usual mud slinging.
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yes, I would. This could happen under anyone. It also says their are other ways around. Just liberals are getting concerned they do not have the votes they thought they would. Interesting also gas is dropping as November is getting closer. Yea I know the President has nothing to do with. Just an interesting happening.
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Polls, that would depend on which ones you look at. Obama is neck and neck as far as I have seen. I am not saying Summers is the best choice, the alternatives are worse.
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Yes, that’s it. They’re worried about nothing. Nothing to see here. Nothing to worry about that there is a mysterious shortage of voter registration cards so soon after the current state government tried to restrict voter registration. Why would anyone ever connect the two events?
yawn
Hey, that’s MINE!!!! My copyright hasn’t been accepted yet, but still!!!!
DEMS and their LACKEY BDN Editors ‘blame Charlie Summers’.
The Republican party of thieves admit what they’re really up to. Woops!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/25/1103126/-Pennsylvania-Republican-admits-voter-suppression-is-all-about-electing-Mitt-Romney
I can believe this could happen, if I were a teapartier. I could also believe that the world is flat as well.
More Republican dirty tricks. They have no shame.
SHHH! Don’t bother Charlie, he’s busy running for office…
It’s funny when they tried to pass a law to prevent voter fraud when it was not needed. When the Secretary of State CANNOT even keep enough voter registration cards in stock in a MAJOR election year! Who needs a law on voter fraud when no one can vote because they can’t register!
I for one believe this was done on purpose! And it’s a shame since I lean towards the party thats behind this. Shooting themselves in the foot.
If EITHER party thinks ALL of the votors are too stupid to see the games they are playing, they have another thing coming. PEOPLE are tire of the GAMES! We can’t afford to keep playing games! It’s time for our legislators to grow up and do their damned jobs! And quit picking sophmoric fights like they are 2 year olds!
I am a big believer in the 2nd admendment and of course one party leans heavily that way. But they are making it damned hard on me to stay with them doing these stupid antics. Cut the cutsie BS and just do what needs to be done!!! They are losing middle ground people similar to myself playing these stupid games! JUST STOP. Man up and do it the right way instead of this underhanded shifty way! People CAN read between the lines you know!!!
And Summers doesn’t have a chance for any support from me. He can’t even do his job as SS right! Be it on purpose or not.
It’s high time we get the “old guard” out of office. They are too entrenched with “friends” and “favors” to others they are not legislating for the state and people any more. Not that they were ever for the people. But at least in the past they did “some” good.