Maine's top elections official said Wednesday that she is confident that local clerks will be prepared for high turnout and any circumstances that arise at the polls on November 5.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said her office has offered local clerks multiple training sessions across the state on topics such as election preparedness and election security. Bellows said they've also held briefings with law enforcement, produced a "pocket guide" on election law for officers and they are encouraging municipal clerks to connect with local police before Election Day in case there are emergencies or other situations.
"What we are seeing is clerks working hard and partnering with our state election officials," Bellows said.
There are real concerns nationwide about potential disruptions at polling places given political tensions surrounding the presidential race. Election clerks in key swing states with a history of political turmoil — such as Georgia and Arizona — are beefing up security around some polling places or in locations where votes are counted. And this is all happening as voters face a flood of misinformation and lingering falsehoods about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election.
A new report on the state of the 'civic health' in Maine suggests that a sizable segment of Maine's population — 35% of respondents — do not trust that the 2024 presidential election results will be counted accurately. The report released this week was based on surveys and Census data.
"Our findings show that, by far, the most powerful predictor of confidence that the 2024 presidential election will be counted properly is party affiliation," reads the report from Colby College's Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs, Public Engagement Partners and the Maine Community Foundation. "Almost nine in ten Democrats (88%) are confident about the tally, while only 44% of Republicans and 45% of Independents feel the same In addition, lower-income, less educated, older Mainers, and upstate residents were all somewhat less likely to feel confident in the integrity of the upcoming presidential election."
But Bellows said Mainers should have confidence in the state's voting system, which relies entirely on paper ballots that typically fed into voting-tabulator machines that are not connected to the internet. Some towns also still hand-count ballots.
Bellows also said that she is "very confident" that Maine's elections will go smoothly.
"Election officials are expert contingency planners, preparing for every potential scenario," Bellows said. "That being said, what we saw in the presidential primary and the June primary was very smooth. Mainers brought their best selves to the polls. We anticipate that's what's going to happen again on this Election Day on Nov. 5."
In addition to voting for in the presidential, congressional and state legislative races, Maine voters will also cast ballots on two referendum questions and three bond measures.
Maine Public's Your Vote coverage is made possible through the support of AARP Maine, MEMIC, and the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein.
