FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Megan Sanborn
207-626-8405
November 30, 2012

The Commission to Study the Conduct of Elections in Maine Announces December 14, 2012 Deadline to Submit Written Testimony

AUGUSTA – The Honorable John Atwood, Chair of the Commission to Study the Conduct of Elections in Maine, announced that the group has set a deadline of December 14, 2012 for accepting written testimony from Mainers, regarding their feedback on the state’s current voting process.

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).  He tasked the Commission with conducting a study of voter participation, the system governing voter registration and the conduct of elections in our 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 held eight public hearings to better understand how Mainers view the State’s voting process.  Hearings were conducted in Augusta, Portland, Bangor, Farmington, Lewiston, Wells, Machias and Presque Isle.

If you would like to submit written testimony to the Commission, you may do so by sending it to Melissa Couture at the Office of the Secretary of State, 148 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0148.  You may also e-mail it to SOS.Office@maine.gov or fax it to (207) 287-8598 by Friday, December 14, 2012.

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.

For more information, please contact the Commission’s staff assistant, Melissa Couture at 626-8400.