Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com
I encourage Mainers to vote “no” on Question 1. Reasonable people can disagree about voter ID requirements, but this referendum question is about much more than ID. Question 1 is part of a coordinated, national effort on voting rights backed by wealthy, out-of-state interests.
The absentee voting provisions of the proposed law are extremely concerning. Please be aware that about 45% of Mainers voted absentee in the last election.
If Question 1 passes, we would no longer be able to pick up or drop off a ballot for our elderly parent who lives in another town. Our housebound, disabled neighbor would not be able to pick up the phone and request a ballot from their town office — even though they’ve done just that for years. People who have to work all day on Election Day — health care workers, first responders, delivery drivers — could effectively lose access to absentee voting.
Question 1 doesn’t solve a problem, it creates new problems.
Maine already has some of the safest and most secure elections in the United States. Between 1982 and 2025, there were two instances of voter fraud in our state. Visit the Heritage Foundation’s election fraud map at electionfraud.heritage.org for details.
Thank you to my fellow citizens for voting “no” on this voter suppression referendum. Protect the will of the Maine people at the ballot box. Learn more at saveabsentee.me.