Charles in the News: Charles Skold warns virus could “weaken” democracy if steps not taken to protect ballot access [Bangor Daily News]
In an interview with the Bangor Daily News, Charles Skold, a candidate for State House District 38 in Portland, warned that additional steps needed to be taken to protect every eligible Mainer’s right to vote in the upcoming July 14 primary election:
“If we don’t take steps to make sure every eligible Mainer can vote in the middle of this pandemic, we allow the virus to weaken the strength of our democracy.”
Earlier this month, Charles Skold led a group of over 20 State House primary candidates in asking Gov. Mills to mail every voter an absentee ballot application and to allow for email-assisted voter registration, among other requests aimed at increasing access to voting.
The letter, which you can read in full here, argues that their recommendations are a necessary response to the coronavirus pandemic, which “poses a threat to the safety of in-person voting and a barrier to the fair access of voting and voter registration.” To address this electoral disruption, the candidates call on Gov. Janet Mills to use the power and funds made available to her by the recent emergency legislation to implement their 18 recommendations.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Bangor Daily News: Maine cities and towns push absentee voting for July election reshaped by virus
May 17, 2020
Key Points:
Maine is regularly one of the states with the highest voter turnout and has ranked highly in studies on ballot access with no-reason-necessary absentee ballots and same-day registration. The onus will be on cities and towns to ensure a safe summer election as they struggle to find poll workers. Even registering to vote is more of a challenge with municipal offices closed.
It all could make for a hard-to-administer election in which Mainers will choose the Democratic nominee to face U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and decide a Republican primary to challenge Rep. Jared Golden of the 2nd District. There are also more than three dozen contested primaries for state and county-level offices and two bond questions.
Election officials don’t yet know how much personal protective equipment they will be able to obtain, or how much will be required come July.
There is also a shortage of poll workers, who are often retirees among those most at risk for serious virus complications.
Advocacy groups including the League of Women Voters have called for the state to take additional steps, such as mailing ballots to all registered voters, a measure implemented by a handful of states, including New Jersey.
Activists have also called for changes around voter registration. New voters can still register by printing a card online and mailing it to their town office. But Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices and college campuses — two locations where young voters are likely to register — are closed.
Uncertainty about absentee ballots and registration has worried candidates. Two dozen legislative candidates wrote a letter to Gov. Janet Mills in early May asking her to consider measures including expanding staffing and early voting, and conducting a post-primary review to determine adjustments needed for the November general election.
“If we don’t take steps to make sure every eligible Mainer can vote in the middle of this pandemic, we allow the virus to weaken the strength of our democracy,” said Charles Skold, a Democrat running for a Maine House of Representatives seat in Portland who signed the letter.
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Charles Skold is a candidate for the Maine House of Representatives. He is running to represent District 38, which encompasses Portland’s West End and St. John Valley. To learn more about Charles Skold’s candidacy, visit www.charlesforportland.com.