Reject Question 1

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

You know, Maine people are proud of our high voter turnout. We treasure our civic right and our civic responsibility to cast a ballot. It's the way we make our voices heard, and it's the way we determine the future of our communities, our state, and our nation. Maine is proud to lead the nation in voter participation because of our proud history of safe and secure elections.

Whether you vote in person at the polls on Election Day, as I like to do, or by absentee ballot, you can trust that your vote will be counted fairly. But that fundamental right to vote is under attack from Question 1 on the ballot November 4th.

Proponents of Question 1 say it's a way to make voting more secure, but our voting is secure already, and there's no evidence of widespread voter fraud. I say this as a former District Attorney and your former Attorney General. We've investigated these allegations time and time again, and there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Maine.

So what is this 15-page detailed bill trying to do here? I tell you, this bill just makes it harder for Maine people to vote. Look, voting absentee is safe, it's secure, and widely used across Maine. In the last election, more than 40 percent of Maine people voted by absentee ballot. And during the pandemic in 2022, roughly 60 percent of voters voted absentee. That includes seniors who have a tough time sometimes leaving their homes, folks who live in rural towns far from polling places, people with disabilities, active duty military, people who have unpredictable work schedules -- like many of you -- and people like first responders who can't count on the schedule to let them vote during regular business hours. Question 1 would make it harder for all these folks to exercise their right to vote.

Question 1 will ban pre-paid return postage for absentee ballots, even when the town votes to do it. It will stop voters from requesting an absentee ballot by phone or through a family member. It will end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and voters with disabilities. You know, roughly 60 percent of seniors vote absentee, and it will limit the number of secure drop boxes. Those drop boxes are carefully designed to be locked and secure, with keys only to the appropriate municipal official. This bill would change all of that.

Think about it like this: if you're a senior or a single parent, someone with disabilities, someone with a busy and unpredictable schedule, like a nurse or first responder, Question 1 would only make it harder for you to cast your vote. That's why I will be voting no on Question 1 this November.

Look, we've seen attacks on voting in Maine before. Remember back in 2011 when Republicans in the legislature enacted a law signed by Governor LePage to eliminate same day voter registration, claiming it would minimize fraud? Well, people turned out in droves to overturn that bill. Nearly 60 percent of Maine people voted to overturn it through a People's Veto, protecting same day voter registration.

Our elections are already safe, secure, and trustworthy. The right to vote is at the foundation of our democracy. Let's not make it harder for Maine people to exercise that important freedom. Reject Question 1 at the ballot box on November 4th.

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.