MPA To Register 5,000 New Voters in 2012

The Maine People’s Alliance will work to register at least 5,000 new voters in 2012. Though voter turnout in a presidential election year is expected to be high, many of the Mainers who will be most affected by the issues MPA works to address aren’t registered to vote and therefore won’t make it to the polls to make their voices heard in November unless an effort is made to make sure they are registered and engaged.

Studies have shown that certain populations—especially single, low-income women and people of color—are consistently registered to vote at lower rates (in Maine and nationally) than the rest of the population. Studies show that these same non-voting Mainers also earn less in the workplace, face higher unemployment rates, are less likely to earn a college degree and are more likely to face problems like home foreclosure. These are voters whose voices deserve to be heard by the candidates who are running for elected office this fall.

This spring and summer, MPA will be registering new voters door-to-door, community-by-community all across Maine. From past voter registration drives (MPA registered 12,339 new voters in 2004 and 4,000 new voters in 2008) it’s been shown that often people aren’t registered simply because they do not know how easy it is or because they aren’t sure what to expect when they go to the polls for the first time. In addition to registering voters, MPA plans to communicate with new registrants several times before Election Day to make sure they know where to vote, offer help in voting early and/or a ride to the polls, and to make sure they know what will be on the ballot and where they can find out more about the candidates who are vying for their votes.  

If you are interested in being part of our voter registration drive, you can contact your local organizer or call MPA’s Voter Registration Canvass Office in Lewiston at 782-7876.