On Feb. 14, 1920, the League of Women Voters (LWV) was formed. Six months later the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle.

The 93rd birthday of the League of Women Voters seems like the perfect time to think about ways we can continue to improve our democracy by making voting easy and accessible for as many Americans as possible. Early voting is something that was talked about a lot during the past election cycle. Many people think we already have early voting in Maine, but we don’t. We can vote before Election Day by casting an absentee ballot, but that’s not the same thing as early voting. When you cast an absentee ballot, the town or city clerk holds it, unopened, until Election Day. And in some towns, almost 60% of the votes are cast by absentee ballot and need to be counted on Election Day.

Early voting is easier

True early voting would make it easier for working moms, lower-wage workers, people with limited transportation, and all Mainers to vote. It also helps reduces lines on Election Day; which helps everyone. Early voting relieves some of the burden on town and city clerks. With early voting, your ballot is cast by you immediately – not saved for Election Day. This makes processing the ballots easier for municipalities. Maine piloted early voting in select areas in 2007 & 2009 and these initiatives were very successful.

Early voting is one of the priorities the Maine Women’s Lobby is working on this year. If you missed the Maine Women’s Day at the State House last month, be sure to read Shenna Bellows’ remarks about why early voting matters to Maine women. As Shenna, the Executive Director of the ACLU of Maine, said: “The time is right for us to take the next step and implement true early voting, expanding access to the voting process and making it easier for working moms, and all hard-working Mainers, to make their voices heard.”

Bringing true early voting to Maine

Last month the Commission to Study Maine Election Laws recommended a statewide early voting system in its report. That early voting would likely result in increased voter participation and that it would ease the burden for municipalities of counting many absentee ballots on Election Day were two of the compelling reasons cited by the Commission for making this recommendation.

Now the Maine Legislature will be considering a constitutional amendment to establish a statewide system of early voting.

How you can help

Attend the hearing on early voting scheduled at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 in the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. Afterwards, you can join us for a Press Conference in the State House Welcome Center at 12:00 p.m. Let us know if you are planning to attend either the hearing or press conference by calling 207.622.0851 ext. 25 or emailing kkilraindelrio@mainewomen.org. If you want to help and can’t make it on the 20th, let us know and we’ll be sure tell you about other ways you can get involved.

The ACLU of Maine has more information about early voting on its website at https://www.aclumaine.org/earlyvoting.

-Kathy Kilrain del Rio

Kathy Kilrain del Rio is the Development & Communications Coordinator for the Maine Women’s Lobby and its sister organization, the Maine Women’s Policy Center. She can be reached at 207.622.0851 ext. 25 or kkilraindelrio@mainewomen.org.