Election Day is only a few weeks away! This year, we’re proud to launch a new partnership with the League of Women Voters of Maine to ensure our elections remain free, safe, and secure.
Since the ACLU’s earliest days, voting rights and election protection have always been foundational to our mission. Our commitment to a representative, multicultural democracy animates our vision for voting rights work today just as it did during the Civil Rights Movement.
The federal government is trying to interfere with our right to vote, but we’re pushing back at every turn. Our teams here in Maine and throughout the nation are working hard to stop the federal government’s unconstitutional attempts to undermine elections – like our effort to protect sensitive voter data in Maine, the Massachusetts challenge to unlawful vote-by-mail restrictions, and voter data protection cases in 22 other states. We’re doing all of this in coordination and partnership with attorneys general, secretaries of state, and other advocates.
Here in Maine, we have a tradition of strong voting rights laws that have led to incredibly high levels participation – but we need to keep it that way! At a time when partisan noise is at a fever pitch and the political parties are less popular than ever, sometimes “get out the vote” work can feel more like gamesmanship than inspiration. And the intensity and of the media attention on Maine can make it hard to separate fact from exaggeration or even fiction. It might feel easy to forget that participating in a free and fair election is the best way to exercise your political power. Your vote is your voice and your power, and the world needs to hear it!
That’s why its so important for nonpartisan voices to get loud right now.
We are proud to be partnering this year with Maine’s League of Women Voters to provide unbiased information about voting rights, correct mis- and dis-information related to voting, and build the volunteer observer network to help support our elected officials and the clerks who administer voting in each town.
You can count on us as a unified voice for unbiased information and important updates. We're here to help you vote and empower your communities to do the same – not to influence how you vote.
It is only September, but now is the time to make your voting plan, and to talk to friends and family about their plans too. Maybe you love absorbing the energy of Election Day in person – or maybe you’d prefer to vote from the comfort of your home. There are many voting options in Maine, including voting early/absentee in person, voting absentee by mail, voting absentee by returning your ballot to your town’s secure ballot box, or voting in person at your polling place on November 3.
In the weeks to come, we can expect political ads – and misinformation – to proliferate and get louder than ever. We encourage you to connect with us and the League on social media and to bookmark our websites to ensure you know your rights and have the most up to date voting information from now until Election Day.
Together, we can make sure that this election is free, fair, and inclusive of all eligible voters in Maine.
