The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
    • Contact
  • Investigations
    • Data
  • Donate
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • USDA Shuts Down U.S. Mexico Livestock Trade to Contain Deadly Flesh-Eating Parasite Spreading in Mexico That Can Devastate Herds and Infest Humans
  • Maine’s “Success” Battling Overdoses Lost In The (Chinese) Weeds
  • Maine Supreme Court Upholds Shenna Bellows’ Wording of Voter ID Referendum Question
  • Circuit Court Voids FTC’s Rules Making It Easier to Cancel Subscriptions, But Mainers Will Still Reap the Benefits Under New, Bipartisan Law
  • Jared Golden Sponsors Bill Increasing Penalties for Violence Against Law Enforcement as Attacks Spike
  • Massachusetts Republican Party Credits The Maine Wire for Triad Weed Bust in Their State
  • Pro-Mamdani PAC Took Donation From Islamist Cleric Who Vouched For Terror Plot Mastermind
  • Kids Behaving Badly: Six Juveniles Charged in Connection to Burglaries, Vandalism in Bingham
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Saturday, July 12
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
    • Contact
  • Investigations
    • Data
  • Donate
The Maine Wire
Home » News » News » Mills, Frey Condemn Voter ID Bill
News

Mills, Frey Condemn Voter ID Bill

Steve RobinsonBy Steve RobinsonFebruary 7, 2023Updated:February 7, 2023No Comments2 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Maine’s prospects for adopting a voter identification law don’t look great for the current legislature.

LD 34, “An Act to Require a Person to Show Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting,” drew opposition Monday from a host of left-wing organizations in the state, including Planned Parenthood of New England, the ACLU of Maine, and the Maine Education Association.

Also weighing in against the bill were Gov. Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey, and without the governor’s support the bill is almost certainly going nowhere.

“The bill, if enacted would disproportionately impact our senior citizens, working people, and those who lack access to reliable transportation,” Mills said.

“If this bill passed, people in more rural areas of our state would have to drive long distances to access government services where identification documents can be obtained,” she said.

In his statement opposing the bill, Frey said voter fraud is non-existent.

“The stated rationale for these laws is one rooted in a falsehood that there is widespread voter fraud committed by individuals,” he said.

The proposal was introduced by Sen. Matthew Pouliot (R-Kennebec). It would require voters to present valid photo identification prior to voting. To mediate concerns about the cost or burden of acquiring identification, the law would also allow anyone to request a free voter identification card from the Secret of State’s office.

Nick Murray, a policy analyst with the Maine Policy Institute, also spoke in favor of the bill. Murray said allegations that voter ID laws would disparately harm racial and ethnic minorities have been dispelled by Georgia’s experience since it adopted the requirements in 2008.

“In the four years after Georgia implemented its then-controversial voter ID law in 2008, turnout among Black and Hispanic voters increased and even outpaced overall population growth among those demographics,” said Murray.

“Even through 2022, turnout in the state continues to break records. A poll conducted by the University of Georgia School of Public & International Affairs found no Black voters who said they had a poor experience at the polls last year,” he said.

[DISCLOSURE: The Maine Wire is a project of the Maine Policy Institute]

Previous ArticleFive Things to Look for in Biden’s State of the Union
Next Article New York City Is Busing Illegal Migrants To The Canadian Border
Steve Robinson
  • Twitter

Steve Robinson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire. ‪He can be reached by email at Robinson@TheMaineWire.com.

Subscribe to Substack

Related Posts

USDA Shuts Down U.S. Mexico Livestock Trade to Contain Deadly Flesh-Eating Parasite Spreading in Mexico That Can Devastate Herds and Infest Humans

July 12, 2025

Maine’s “Success” Battling Overdoses Lost In The (Chinese) Weeds

July 12, 2025

Maine Supreme Court Upholds Shenna Bellows’ Wording of Voter ID Referendum Question

July 11, 2025

Leave A Reply

Subscribe to Substack
Recent News

USDA Shuts Down U.S. Mexico Livestock Trade to Contain Deadly Flesh-Eating Parasite Spreading in Mexico That Can Devastate Herds and Infest Humans

July 12, 2025

Maine Supreme Court Upholds Shenna Bellows’ Wording of Voter ID Referendum Question

July 11, 2025

Circuit Court Voids FTC’s Rules Making It Easier to Cancel Subscriptions, But Mainers Will Still Reap the Benefits Under New, Bipartisan Law

July 11, 2025

Jared Golden Sponsors Bill Increasing Penalties for Violence Against Law Enforcement as Attacks Spike

July 11, 2025

Massachusetts Republican Party Credits The Maine Wire for Triad Weed Bust in Their State

July 11, 2025
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.