Orono has a history of unfinished ballots. In 2020, the last presidential election cycle, 260 voters left the state senate portion of their ballot blank. Further down the ballot, 942 voters left the probate judge blank on their ballot. Orono has some of the highest numbers of unfinished ballots in the state. I urge every student to enter the voting booth ready to fill their entire ballot.
I understand not wanting to vote for someone you don’t know. However, it is a choice to know the candidates. It is easy to research your ballot ahead of time and find the candidate’s policies.Taking your phone into the booth and searching right there is just as easy. If you want to learn more about the down ballot candidates, check out their websites and social media. If they are an incumbent, it is easy to see how they have voted in the past. With the Orono town council elections, both candidates have bios on the town website.
It is critical to fill out your ballot all the way to the bottom. The presidential race is “flashy” with national media coverage, but the margins that the local races are decided at are much smaller than a presidential race. Last election, our state senate district had an 896 voter margin between the two candidates. I predict that the margin will be smaller this year. As UMaine students, we have the power to sway local elections. We must vote all the way down the ballot to give ourselves as much power as possible.
These local races directly impact the lives of students. With a federal government more gridlocked than ever, we rely on our state governments to carry the full burden of legislating. Our state legislators are doing important work that affects Maine. We attend a state-funded university. These down-ballot legislators fund our programs.
This is your opportunity to make an impact in our community. Do your research and head to the polls this Tuesday, Nov. 5. Fill in all three pages of your ballot.
