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“Voting is one of the fundamental rights we have as citizens of this state and country. Everyone should make an effort to cast a ballot at each election,” says Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap. “Maine law makes it easy to cast an absentee ballot. You don’t have to be out of town or have any other reason to take advantage of this easy way to vote at a time that is most convenient for you.” If you’re out of town and must vote absentee, applications to receive your ballot by mail are available now, and ballots are available at town offices now. To count in the election, ballots must be received by the town clerk by 8 p.m. on election day, November 3, 2009. Out-of-town voters If you are out of town and must vote by mail, now is the time to request an application for an absentee ballot. There are several ways to do this.
In-town voters As noted by the Secretary of State, you do not have to have a reason to cast your vote by absentee ballot. You can go to your town office to vote in person on an absentee ballot as soon as ballots are available. If voting in person, you don’t need to complete an application. If you do not want to or are unable to come to the polls and want someone outside your immediate family to handle the absentee ballot for you, you must make a written request for that specific person to pick up and hand-deliver the ballot to you. Only this person may handle the absentee ballot. Ballots cast in this way must be witnessed by a notary public, a municipal clerk, a clerk of courts, or two other witnesses. All interested voters are invited to try out Maine’s accessible voting system, Inspire Vote-by-Phone. This is an audio ballot, designed to allow voters with disabilities to cast their votes privately and independently. The process takes 10 to 15 minutes, and a paper ballot is faxed to the voter afterward for review on election day. Voters can practice with this system before election day. See the town clerk information below for the town access code needed when you call 866-491-8683 to practice. Registering to vote According to the Secretary of State, it’s never too late to register to vote in Maine. You can register in person at your town office up to and including election day. You can also register to vote by mail; the cut-off is the close of business on Tuesday, October 13, for the November 3 referendum. To register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, be at least 17 years old (you must be 18 to vote), and have established and maintained a residence in the town where you intend to vote. Town clerk information Blue Hill: Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters Etta Perkins, 374-2281. Office hours Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mailing address: P.O. Box 412, Blue Hill, 04614. Vote-By-Phone code: 127111. Brooklin: Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters Jeannine Hardy, 359-8394. Office hours Tuesday and Thursday, 2-5 p.m. Mailing address: P.O. Box 219, Brooklin, 04616. Vote-By-Phone code: 128111. Brooksville: Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters Amber Bakeman, 326-4518. Office hours Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Thursday, 6-8 p.m. Mailing address: 1 Town House Rd, Brooksville, 04617. Vote-By-Phone code: 129111. Sedgwick: Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters Cynthia Reilly, 359-2275 or 326-9012. Office hours at town office Wednesday 1:30-6 p.m. and Thursday 2:30-7 p.m.; at home Tuesday and Wednesday, 7-8:30 p.m. Mailing address: P.O. Box 40, Sedgwick, 04676. Vote-By-Phone code: 146111. Surry: Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters Angela Smith, 667-5912. Office hours Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mailing address: P.O. Box 147, Surry, 04684. Vote-By-Phone code: 151111. Return to the The Weekly Packet home page. |
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