With Damariscotta Pumpkinfest in the rearview, it’s time to turn our attention to the next highly anticipated event of the fall: the referendum election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
While Jefferson residents consider whether to validate the third version of the town’s education budget for the 2026 fiscal year, many others’ attention will be solely focused on the two statewide issues on the ballot.
Question 1 reads as follows: “Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?”
Question 2 reads as follows: “Do you want to allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or others?”
We will not be weighing in on the language of either question, nor will we be advocating for or against either of these questions. Instead, we’re going to ask you to do your own research.
Chances are you’ve seen the roadside signs, seen the ads, and read the letters to the editor. That’s not enough.
Rather than base your vote on the opinions of others alone, review the language of both questions. Read the “Maine Citizen’s Guide to the Referendum Election,” a document prepared by state officials that details the legislation each question represents, a summary of the intent and content of that legislation, and an explanation of the significance of a yes or no vote.
Please take the time to understand what you are voting on.
If you come to a conclusion on where you stand on these two questions and want to write a letter to the editor about it, next week’s edition is your last chance, and our deadline is 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20. If you’d like to purchase a political ad advocating for one side or the other, there’s still time to reach out to our advertising department.
If after reviewing our letters to the editor and political advertising policies, which are posted on our website, you have suggestions on how we can improve either, we’re happy to take them into consideration after this election cycle ends.
Regardless of where you land on any of the above, we hope you take the opportunity to vote. It is one of the most important rights we as citizens have, and it’s not one to take for granted.
