Your Election Update For Monday, October 31

Monday, October 31, 2022

Jen Lancaster

According to the Maine Secretary of State, as of 10/27, over 117,000 Mainers have voted with an absentee ballot! If you plan to request yours, don't wait until it's too late. We can't stress this enough — we know it's easy to procrastinate. Go ahead and request your absentee ballot in person or online here. Just make sure that you have time to return it to your Town Clerk by 8:00 PM on Election Day.

Mailed or dropped off your absentee ballot and want to track it? You can check the status of your ballot here. This allows you to see if your ballot made it back to your Town Clerk and was processed.

Already voted? Tell us how it went.

Voter Hotline: Text or call us with your voting and election questions: (207) 558-3333.

On October 26, the League of Women Voters of the United States and League chapters from all 50 states — including Maine! — and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief in the Moore v. Harper case before the Supreme Court. The case concerns the so-called “independent state legislature theory," which, if adopted, would have far-reaching implications for the future of American democracy, prioritizing the ambitions of politicians over the American voter. Read the full statement here.

What is Moore v. Harper? And how did we get here? Check out our recent webinar where we discuss the implications of the case with national experts.

Above: Portland and Rockland recently hosted screenings of the documentary No Time to Fail, which tells the story of how election workers are ground zero for democracy. Learn more about this film at notimetofailfilm.com.

Letter to the Editor: Thank clerks, poll workers for a great job conducting elections

The people who help ensure that every eligible Maine voter can cast a ballot do a lot of unsung work on behalf of democracy. Our election clerks and poll workers are facing immense challenges, from a global pandemic to the spread of disinformation.

Add in the usual challenges of local governance – inconsistent funding, changing laws, evolving voter behavior – and the job seems positively overwhelming. Yet without fail, our elections are conducted efficiently and smoothly. Continue reading here.