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Dear John,

There are 62 days (and 8 online Lunch & Learns) before the 2020 General Election on November 3rd.

Before we tell you about our September Lunch & Learn line-up, we wanted to brief you about what we’ve been doing to help ensure safe, successful, and secure elections across Maine on November 3rd.

This morning, we joined the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine in filing an amicus brief in Maine’s Superior Court in support of a lawsuit against Maine’s Secretary of State and Maine’s Attorney General over the administration of the November election.

While we applaud the Mills administration for their leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, more work is needed to prepare the State and the network of town clerks for the most important election of our lifetime. There is a clear connection between responding to climate change here in Maine and preparing for an election during the Trump era; both require careful preparation and the building of resilient systems that can withstand whatever is to come.

*We believe that Governor Mills and Secretary of State Dunlap have more to do to prepare us for the most important election of our lifetime:

*We need to ensure that all voters whose ballots are postmarked before election day have their vote counted, no matter the dangerous antics of the Trump administration

*We need to ensure that postage does not serve as a poll tax, disenfranchising eligible Maine voters; and 

*We need to ensure that ballots are not rejected without ample opportunity for voters to cure signature mismatches. 


In addition to our work with the ACLU of Maine, we’re hard at work getting you all to pledge to and request your absentee ballot [[link removed]] . (You won’t get your ballot right away; town clerks will mail your absentee ballot to you no sooner than one month before the election. )

Please also consider becoming a poll worker to support in-person voting for those who need it. Today, September 1st, is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, so there’s no time like the present to get connected with poll worker opportunities [[link removed]] !

And now, our September Lunch & Learns:

At the beginning of the summer, we honestly were not sure what kind of legs a virtual lecture series would have during our amazing Maine summers. Thank you for taking us with you on your vacations and staycations this summer as we learned about climate resiliency, the Atlantic Black Box Project, and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument

We have another great line up for September, and we hope to see you at one or all of our Lunch & Learns this month!

Friday, September 11th, 12-1 PM: The Geology of the Maine Coast

*
Dr.
Joe
Kelley,
a
Professor
of
Marine
Geology
at
the
University
of
Maine
,
will
present
the
“Geology
of
the
Maine
Coast.”
In
this
presentation,
he
will
explain
the
three
elements
which
form
the
coast,
its
bedrock,
glacial
deposits,
and
modern
processes,
and
explore
the
impact
of
sea
level
on
the
evolution
of
the
modern
coastal
landscape.
Register
here!
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Friday, September 18th, 12-1 PM: An Update on the Maine Climate Council

*
Hannah
Pingree,
Director
of
the
Governor's
Office
of
Policy
Innovation
and
the
Future,
will
join
us
to
give
an
update
on
the
Maine
Climate
Council’s
work
to
develop
a
new
Climate
Action
Plan
for
Maine
that
ensures
a
reduction
in
carbon
pollution
of
45%
by
2030
and
80%
by
2050;
aids
communities
in
adapting
to
the
serious
and
costly
changes
to
be
wrought
by
the
climate
crisis;
and
builds
a
clean
energy
economy
for
all
Maine
people.
Register
here!
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Friday, September 25th, 12-1 PM: Foraging in Maine

*
Nikaline
Iacono,
wild
plant
educator
and
owner
of
Vessel
and
Vine
in
Brunswick,
will
join
us
to
discuss
foraging
throughout
the
seasons.
Maine
is
filled
with
an
abundance
of
edible
wild
plants
and
fungi,
that
span
all
four
seasons.
We
will
look
at
what
plants
and
mushrooms
are
in
season,
with
a
particular
focus
on
how
to
identify
wild
edibles
safely,
harvest
them
sustainably,
and
utilize
them
to
elevate
your
cooking!
Please
come
with
any
questions
you
might
have
about
the
world
of
foraging
in
Maine.
Register
here!
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We’re always looking for new speakers and issues to feature, so email me with your ideas and suggestions.

--Will
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Augusta, ME 04330
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