More than 100 legislators earn a 100% rating for preserving the freedom to vote.
As other states work to restrict access to the ballot box, undermine the integrity and accuracy of elections, and weaken democracy, Maine is moving in the opposite direction: more than half of Maine’s legislators earned a 100% score for their work preserving the freedom to vote from Mainers for Modern Elections.
Mainers for Modern Elections releases its 2023 legislative scorecard today and thanks the legislators with a 100% score for voting against two attempts to create new barriers to voting and in favor of a bill expanding ongoing absentee voting (LD 1690).
Stopping new barriers to voting
The right to vote shouldn’t come with barriers and a majority of legislators voted against two proposals creating new barriers to vote. One (LD 1365) would require voters to present a photo ID when voting, even though Maine law already requires voters to prove their identity before they can register to vote.
“Requiring photo ID would make it harder for some Mainers to exercise their right to vote, like seniors who don't drive and may not have a driver's license, people in rural areas, people of color, and younger voters,” said Alysia Melnick, representative of Mainers for Modern Elections. “We need to preserve the freedom to vote for all eligible Mainers.”
The second bill (LD 237) would have required voters to re-register to vote every four years, an unnecessary hurdle that would just make voting slower and more expensive without doing anything to make our elections more secure.
Expanding ongoing absentee voting
Maine has a long, proud tradition of making sure every eligible voter can cast a ballot if they wish, and in the manner that works best for them. As a result, Maine has some of the highest voter turnout in the country and absentee voting is a popular option with voters. Two-thirds of those voting absentee in 2018 had also voted absentee in 2016. With ongoing absentee voting, eligible voters would sign up once and be mailed a ballot for each subsequent election rather than completing the same form each year and requiring town clerks to process repeated requests from the same voters. Voters remain enrolled in the ongoing absentee program as long as they are an active voter, and they can request to be removed at any time.
A total of 22 Senators and 82 Representatives earned a 100% score from Mainers for Modern Elections.
Mainers for Modern Elections is a coalition committed to ensuring that our right to vote safely transcends politics and partisanship. The coalition advocates for safe, secure, modern elections and is committed to securing equitable access to the ballot for every eligible Maine voter. Members include the ACLU of Maine, League of Women Voters of Maine, Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, Maine Conservation Voters, Represent US, Center for Secure and Modern Election, Maine AFL-CIO, Maine Equal Justice, Maine Women’s Lobby, Maine People’s Alliance, Defend Our Health, Maine Service Employees Association, Maine Education Association, Maine Youth Power, and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.