Dear Friend of MCV,

Monday was an important day for Maine’s democracy. I stood before the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee at the public hearing for LD 34, “An Act to Require a Person to Show Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting,” [[link removed]] and testified in opposition to this bill.

Read my full testimony here. [[link removed]]

As a fundamental right, the right to vote should never come with barriers that make it more difficult, if not impossible, for some Mainers to vote while ensuring easy access to the ballot box for others. If photo identification is required at the polls, some Mainers will be unable to advocate for themselves by participating in our democracy.

Yet this is what happens when voter ID laws are implemented. One study found [[link removed]] that “policies such as ID requirements can reduce the probability of voting by as much as four percentage points, which can swing election results even at a national level.”

It should not be controversial to unequivocally state that the freedom to vote is a fundamental right in our democracy – but the opposition is working to limit that freedom. We’ll need your help fighting back.

This is the first of what will likely be many opportunities to stand up for our democracy this legislative session. In the coming weeks and months, we’re looking for volunteers who will join us in taking action to protect Maine’s democracy by contacting legislators and educating folks in your communities.

Pledge to Take Action for Maine's Democracy: [link removed]

Maine’s Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, also testified in opposition to LD 34, citing Maine’s exceptional rates of voter turnout – a point of pride for the state that this bill threatens. She said, "I would urge caution in adopting any measures that would create barriers to the right to vote . . . all voters should have the freedom to vote equally and any bills that infringe on that freedom should be regarded with the strictest scrutiny." We’re lucky to have a Secretary of State who is such a staunch defender of our democracy!

Thanks for everything you do,

Beth Ahearn | she/her
Director of Government Affairs
Maine Conservation Voters
[email protected] [[email protected]]

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