I have read many letters recently concerning Question 1.

A yes vote will rescind the recently enacted legislation that ended same-day voter registration in Maine. Those urging a no vote have spoken about voter fraud and abuse.

Charlie Webster, Maine’s GOP chairman, found 19 medical students registered to vote in 2004 and then asked Secretary of State Charlie Summers to investigate out-of-state college students who registered to vote in Maine. (College students have every right to vote in Maine as long as they establish residency.)

One letter urging a no vote stated that “last-minute voters are last-minute citizens,” implying that same-day registrants are stragglers and procrastinators.

Another letter writer spoke about large amounts of error rates in voter registration. (In fact, Summers found very few incidences of fraud.) She concluded that prohibiting same day registration would “protect the right to vote” of the young and elderly who would be “disenfranchised” if the law was overturned.

What I cannot understand is why the following facts haven’t been mentioned:

* In 2008, 60,000 Maine voters registered on election day.

* Maine’s overall voter turnout that year was the third highest in the USA.

I don’t believe anyone has presented any credible argument that would justify potentially excluding 60,000 Maine voters. I believe that our voting rights as Americans are precious; we have sacrificed thousands of lives and trillions of dollars to give Iraqis that right. Shouldn’t we be as passionate about defending that right in our own country?

I urge you to vote yes on Question 1 — not as Democrats or Republicans but as Americans.

Walter L. Novey

Hallowell

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