Dear John,

It’s the final countdown and while most of you have already voted (nice going!) some of your friends, family, and neighbors have not yet. As I’ve said before, your superpower this election season is your ability to reach at least one person who is on the fence about voting and to get them off the fence and to the polls. Just like we’re taking time to check on you, take time to check on your people and let’s make sure every eligible voter casts a ballot this year.

I know many of you will be joining me in doomscrolling on Election Night as we wait for results. Please remember that a slow count is an accurate count. Get to bed early (ha!), eat well, and exercise on November 3rd. Call a friend. Make breakfast for dinner. We may be waiting for some time (days into weeks) for final election results. As always, we’ll be here to help you understand what’s happening and what it means. 

This month for our weekly Lunch & Learns, we will take two weeks to unpack the 2020 Election season before turning to the intersection of climate change and US immigration law. 

We hope to see you at one or all of our Lunch & Learns this month!

Friday, November 6th, 12-1 PM: Post-Election Analysis with the League of Women Voters of Maine

• Staff from Maine Conservation Voters and the League of Women Voters of Maine will discuss the outcome of the 2020 General Election (if available) — what we saw, what we learned, and what changes we see on the horizon. Register here!

Friday, November 13th, 12-1 PM: What do the Election Results mean for Climate and the Environment?

• Tiernan Sittenfeld, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at League of Conservation Voters, and Beth Ahearn, Director of Government Affairs at Maine Conservation Voters/Maine Conservation Alliance will join us to discuss key takeaways from the election results and what they mean for climate action and environmental progress. Register here!

Friday, November 20th, 12-1 PM: Climate Change Refugees and the Impending Crisis

• What happens when climate change forces individuals to leave their homes forever? There is no clear answer under current law, but it implicates international law, refugee law, immigration policies in general, and varies by country. Anna Welch, the Sam L. Cohen Refugee and Human Rights Clinical Professor at University of Maine School of Law, and her advisee Kyle Lonabaugh, a 3L at the University of Maine School of Law, will present on “Climate Change Refugees,” their place in the United States, and the world. They will discuss the issues of climate change and mass migration, current U.S. refugee law, and how these issues relate to one another. They will offer a background on what other countries are doing and suggestions for how to help address the impending mass migration crisis. Register here!

Wear a mask, wash your hands, and vote!

--Will