A new op-ed in the Bangor Daily News from State Representative Michele Meyer argues that the best way to fight back against Trump’s attempts to undermine the integrity of the election is to vote––and make your plan to vote now.

While Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have presented a “unified, hopeful vision” to “build our nation back better,” Trump is “deploying scare tactics,” including threatening voting by mail. Rep. Meyer explains the way to “send a clear message that our democracy is stronger” than Trump’s “misinformation and lies” is “casting our ballots” –– and the best way to do that is knowing your options and making a plan to vote today.

Bangor Daily News: Make your plan to vote today

By: State Representative Michele Meyer (D-Eliot)
August 29, 2020

Key Points:

  • The Democratic National Convention last week showed Mainers a way out of the chaos and crisis of Donald Trump’s presidency with a unified, hopeful vision for America’s future. After four years of division, I know Mainers are ready to send Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House to build our nation back better.
     
  • Instead of presenting a hopeful vision for America, Trump is deploying scare tactics to undermine the integrity of the election — including threatening voting by mail. But there’s one way we can send a clear message that our democracy is stronger than his misinformation and lies, and that’s casting our ballots. With fewer than 70 days until the election, it’s time for every Mainer to make their plan to vote.
     
  • Mainers have a number of options for voting this year — casting an absentee ballot from home, voting by absentee ballot in-person at your town office or going to the polls on Nov. 3, Election Day.
     
  • Requesting an absentee ballot from home is simple, and you don’t need a reason to do so. The quickest and easiest way is to visit the Secretary of State’s website and put in your request. All you need to do is confirm your voting address and where you want to have your ballot mailed. You can also call your town clerk to make the request or submit an application in writing to your clerk in-person, by mail, or by fax.
     
  • When you get your ballot (they’ll be mailed in early October), complete it as soon as possible, and return it by mail, in-person to your town office or to a ballot drop box if your municipality has one. If you do plan to return your absentee ballot by mail, you should submit it as soon as possible after receiving it. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
     
  • Maine also makes it easy to vote early by absentee ballot in-person, allowing you to skip the mail entirely while avoiding any Election Day lines and enjoying the assurance that your vote is in. Most town offices will begin offering in-person absentee voting on Oct. 5, and will continue each business day until Oct. 29.
     
  • If you miss your chance to vote early, you can still vote on Election Day. You’ll need to locate your polling place, make sure you have a way to get there, and figure out what time works best for you to show up to the polls. While polling locations are still being finalized, the Secretary of State provides the Maine Voter Information Lookup Service which will be updated in the weeks prior to Nov. 3. Polling locations in Maine open between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Election Day and close at 8 p.m.
     
  • Visit voteinmaine.com for a handy one-stop shop on all the ways you can cast your ballot this election. And with so many ways to vote, we should feel confident in our election system. Trump’s attempts to scare away Mainers from casting their ballots, no matter how we choose to do so, will fall flat if each one of us makes a plan to vote and sticks to it.
     
  • I’ve felt so discouraged seeing Mainers suffer at the hands of this president. Trump’s failed pandemic response made this public health crisis worse than it needed to be. His COVID economy has wrecked many Maine small businesses, and his reckless trade wars have hurt the livelihoods of lobstermen and women, loggers and farmers. It often feels like there’s nothing we could possibly do to pull out of this tailspin.
     
  • But there is something we can do. We can vote!
     
  • We can rebuild this nation by electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. But to get there, we must vote. So, with fewer than 70 days until Election Day, take a few moments now — right now — to make your plan to vote. The soul of our nation depends on it.

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