Election integrity requires reasonable registration rules
By Rep. Alexander Willette
(R-Mapleton)
Here in Maine, we take our responsibility to vote very seriously. We consistently lead the nation in voter turnout, and for good reason. We understand the connection between citizen involvement and the quality of our representation in Augusta and Washington.
Mainers also understand the importance of ensuring the voting process is fair and that votes are counted properly and, most importantly, accurately. That is why during this past legislative session I voted in favor of LD 1376, “An Act to Preserve the Integrity of the Voter Registration and Election Process.”
This bill, now signed into law by Governor Paul LePage, stipulates that citizens must register to vote at least two business days before an election. If Election Day is on a Tuesday, the registration deadline would be at 5 p.m. on the preceding Thursday. Of course, if you are already registered to vote in the town or city where you currently live, this new law does not affect you. Election Day registration, however, will no longer be permitted.
This legislation was motivated by increasing pressure on municipal clerks around the state to process a deluge of last-minute registrations and absentee ballots. The number of people who wait until the final days to register is growing every year. More than 60,000 people registered to vote last November on Election Day itself even though they had the whole year to register.
Absentee voting has increased dramatically, up 25 percent since 2000, when Maine adopted a new law which stated that residents can cast an absentee ballot for any reason at all – or no reason at all. The combination of these factors has created a last minute crunch for those processing ballots, and few municipalities, some of which are using antiquated technology, can afford to bring in extra staff to make sure the process goes smoothly.
During the public hearing on LD 1376, an official with the Maine Town and City Clerks’ Association said, “Currently, most clerks are at the breaking point when it comes to absentee voter turnout.” She said the last-minute surge “literally leaves us no time to set up our polling places properly and prepare our voting lists the day before an election.”
Even with this change, Maine remains one of the most lenient states in the country when it comes to voter registration. Most states require you to register weeks before the election. In fact, the cutoff point is 30 days for more than a dozen states. In Massachusetts, it’s 20 days. Only seven states now allow same-day registration.
Currently, there’s an effort under way to repeal the part of the law that ends same-day registration in Maine. A petition drive is being led by liberal groups like the Maine People’s Alliance, the Maine Civil Liberties Union and labor unions. If they are successful in gathering approximately 57,000 certified signatures, the issue will appear on the ballot as a People’s Veto either next November or in June 2012.
Proponents of the repeal are using terms like “voter suppression” to describe the new registration guidelines. This type of rhetoric is not only alarmist, it is also absurd. Are these same groups accusing Rhode Island of suppressing the vote because they cut off registration 30 days before an election? Or how about California, which shuts off registration 15 days beforehand?
All eligible Maine voters are still allowed to go to the polls on Election Day or cast an absentee ballot. The two-day deadline will apply to everyone not already registered. There will still be 247 business days a year to register. If you can’t go to your town or city office to register, you can fill out the registration form at any Bureau of Motor Vehicles office or social service agency. You can also have your town or city clerk’s office mail the registration to you, so you never have to leave home.
As for young people, efforts are made to make sure they have ample time to register. Each fall, the state Elections Division provides voter registration applications to high schools so that all 17- and 18-year-old students can register to vote. A 17-year-old may pre-register even if they turn 18 on Election Day.
To make voting easier for the elderly, Maine law requires municipal clerks to visit all licensed nursing homes and residential care facilities in their district during the 30 days before an election, thus giving residents the opportunity to register and cast an absentee ballot.
Frankly, it is an insult to Maine residents to suggest that they are incapable of completing the easy task of registering at least two days beforehand. These new guidelines are a simple, reasonable step to preserve the integrity of our elections.
State Rep. Alexander Willette (R-Mapleton) serves on the Transportation Committee.
