Last May, Maine’s legislature rejected “An Act to Require an Individual to Present Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting,” which proposed much more than that. Its provisions would have created barriers to the right to vote for many Maine citizens, by limiting absentee voting and adding other requirements. As a result, we have the opportunity to vote in November on Question 1, which would change our election laws by proposing similar measures. 

Maine requires positive identification to register to vote. We have safeguards in place to protect our elections, with conscientious and well-trained election workers to maintain the procedures that assure secure voter registration and elections.

Question 1 focuses on absentee voting, a choice relied on by many Mainers for many legitimate reasons; safeguards for absentee voting are well integrated into those procedures. I hope all voters will carefully consider this question’s wording and intent before voting.

Judith Feinstein
Hallowell