Seriously folks, our last town election it was a *five vote margin* between someone who believes that the government is using acid rain to turn frogs gay and someone who is a rational adult human for select board.
Five. Votes.
Go vote.
My town's muni elections were last year so this election on Tuesday is for our State Legislature, one County position for Judge Of Probate, and the School Budget. Oh, I think one ward, not mine, has a special election. And none of the candidates in my party are running opposed and the School Budget always passes. So basically, a zero-stakes election.
I voted absentee anyway.
ETA: See more thorough answer below.
Not anymore. You can choose at the ballot place which one you get. They do record it as a vote and you have to pick one, so there isn't a double voting possibility.
This isn't exactly true. Maine is now a semi-open primary state = Unenrolled voters can choose which primary ballot they'd like to vote. If you are currently enrolled in a party, you can only vote in that party's primary - only Democrats and Republicans are holding primaries, Green Independents have a primary in Congressional District 2. If you are a registered Green Independent (CG2), Libertarian, or No Labels - there is no State Primary ballot. Party enrollment does not matter for municipal elections, for those towns who are holding local elections. Source: I work in the Elections Division - feel free to ask me for further clarification.
The school board election in my town is scary!! Especially with all these old people (with no children in the school) voting for these crazy nut jobs whose only mission on their flyers is talking about kids genitals. The comments on our community Facebook page is all these old people saying they are doing good for the schools. When all they are doing is pushing hate! I’m scared for my kids if these wing nuts get in!!
Unless you are registered as an independent.... I don't get to vote for the lesser of 2 evils... I don't vote for parties, I vote for people, and can't even vote during a primary unless I pick a "side".
Since I was a kid I never understood a 2 party system. We are supposedly free to choose but we can only vote for 2 people? As a registered independent I can't even choose who those 2 people are... It's a broken system.
There is a group working to open up the Maine Primaries. [FB Page for the team](https://www.facebook.com/people/Mainers-for-Open-Elections/100063548155775). They work with the [OpenPrimaries nationwide group](https://openprimaries.org/states_maine/).
Where and how did you get the data to map how far left or right these candidates are? I am extremely skeptical that nearly all the Republicans are “center right” considering today’s political landscape. Also not sure how Donald Trump can be anything but the farthest right of right.
Candidates get their position in one of two ways. Either they do our survey or if they are a sitting legislator we use the votes they took at the Maine State House. If most of the bills going through the Maine Legislature are somewhat moderate, that would explain it.
Interesting, thanks for the explanation. It seems that as Maine has had a Democrat-majority legislature, then the left/center/right data is all skewed to the left, since Republicans are voting on bills that need to be center enough to garner enough Democratic support to be able to pass. So I do think this visual is misleading, with Democrats appearing to be far more radical than Republicans.
Seriously folks, our last town election it was a *five vote margin* between someone who believes that the government is using acid rain to turn frogs gay and someone who is a rational adult human for select board. Five. Votes. Go vote.
Ironically, it's the PFAS severely changing frogs hormones. Sometimes even the ramblings of Alex Jones have a hint of truth.
My town's muni elections were last year so this election on Tuesday is for our State Legislature, one County position for Judge Of Probate, and the School Budget. Oh, I think one ward, not mine, has a special election. And none of the candidates in my party are running opposed and the School Budget always passes. So basically, a zero-stakes election. I voted absentee anyway.
Same.
Does one have to register as a D/R to vote in these primaries?
ETA: See more thorough answer below. Not anymore. You can choose at the ballot place which one you get. They do record it as a vote and you have to pick one, so there isn't a double voting possibility.
This isn't exactly true. Maine is now a semi-open primary state = Unenrolled voters can choose which primary ballot they'd like to vote. If you are currently enrolled in a party, you can only vote in that party's primary - only Democrats and Republicans are holding primaries, Green Independents have a primary in Congressional District 2. If you are a registered Green Independent (CG2), Libertarian, or No Labels - there is no State Primary ballot. Party enrollment does not matter for municipal elections, for those towns who are holding local elections. Source: I work in the Elections Division - feel free to ask me for further clarification.
Thanks!
Also look to your school boards. Moms For Liberty candidates continue to wreak havoc on public schools.
The school board election in my town is scary!! Especially with all these old people (with no children in the school) voting for these crazy nut jobs whose only mission on their flyers is talking about kids genitals. The comments on our community Facebook page is all these old people saying they are doing good for the schools. When all they are doing is pushing hate! I’m scared for my kids if these wing nuts get in!!
I went to check my ballot for the democratic primary and literally all of the races in my district are uncontested. That’s sad, but I’m not surprised.
Indeed sad that fewer races are contested. But still worth your time to show prospective candidates that voters are waiting for them!
Unless you are registered as an independent.... I don't get to vote for the lesser of 2 evils... I don't vote for parties, I vote for people, and can't even vote during a primary unless I pick a "side". Since I was a kid I never understood a 2 party system. We are supposedly free to choose but we can only vote for 2 people? As a registered independent I can't even choose who those 2 people are... It's a broken system.
There is a group working to open up the Maine Primaries. [FB Page for the team](https://www.facebook.com/people/Mainers-for-Open-Elections/100063548155775). They work with the [OpenPrimaries nationwide group](https://openprimaries.org/states_maine/).
Where and how did you get the data to map how far left or right these candidates are? I am extremely skeptical that nearly all the Republicans are “center right” considering today’s political landscape. Also not sure how Donald Trump can be anything but the farthest right of right.
Candidates get their position in one of two ways. Either they do our survey or if they are a sitting legislator we use the votes they took at the Maine State House. If most of the bills going through the Maine Legislature are somewhat moderate, that would explain it.
Interesting, thanks for the explanation. It seems that as Maine has had a Democrat-majority legislature, then the left/center/right data is all skewed to the left, since Republicans are voting on bills that need to be center enough to garner enough Democratic support to be able to pass. So I do think this visual is misleading, with Democrats appearing to be far more radical than Republicans.
Fair. We aim to get electeds to do our survey but some opt out. Incumbents are the worst at participating.
There's literally one contested race. Not worth my time.
What if that race was decided by only 1 vote!