Hearing held to discuss
how elections are conducted
PRESQUE ISLE — A public hearing was held at the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Campus Center on Tuesday, Nov. 20, to discuss how elections are conducted in Maine. The Honorable John Atwood serves as chair of the Commission to Study the Conduct of Elections in Maine.
This past May, Secretary of State Charles E. Summers, Jr. appointed a Commission to Study the Conduct of Elections in Maine, in accordance with Resolve, Chapter 133 (enacted by the 125th Maine State Legislature). Summers tasked the Commission with conducting a study of voter participation, the system governing voter registration and the conduct of elections in the state — the intent being that their findings, as well as any recommended legislation, would be reported to the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs of the 126th Legislature. The group has been holding public hearings throughout the state in order to better understand how Mainers view the state’s voting process and what their concerns are, as well as what they feel may need to be changed or modified.
Commission members include former Superior Court Justice John Atwood; attorney and former mayor of the city of Bangor, Larry Willey; special advisor to Seeds of Peace and director of its Maine Seeds Program, Tim Wilson; former city Clerk for both Portland and South Portland, Linda Cohen; and former United States Attorney Paula Silsby.
To access a list of all scheduled public hearings and instructions on joining the discussions via Webinar, visit the Secretary of State’s website at www.maine.gov/sos/.
