Lewiston mayor says letter to new voters wasnt intimidation
Source: Kennebec Journal
LEWISTON — A letter sent by Mayor Shane Bouchard to new voters who registered at the polls during last year’s election has been met with criticism from Maine’s Secretary of State, the City Council president and Bates College students, who say the notice is nothing more than “scare tactics” to deter students from voting.
In his City Hall office Wednesday, Bouchard said the letter, which describes the expectations of a voter following registration, was purely “informational,” meant to clear up post-election confusion he saw on social media about state law.
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He said the letter was sent to all new voters, not only Bates College students.
However, students said the letter causes more confusion by using select information from the Secretary of State’s website, while leaving out more important information about student voting rights.
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Read more: https://www.centralmaine.com/2018/03/08/lewiston-mayor-rejects-criticism-of-letter-to-new-voters/
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Posted Yesterday at 8:44 PM Updated at 10:00 AM
Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap takes issue with Mayor Shane Bouchard's message to voters who registered at the polls last year that they now face residency requirements.
BY ANDREW RICE
SUN JOURNAL
LEWISTON — A letter sent by Mayor Shane Bouchard to new voters who registered at the polls during last year’s election has been met with criticism from Maine’s Secretary of State, the City Council president and Bates College students, who say the notice is nothing more than “scare tactics” to deter students from voting.
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The letter, dated Feb. 5, was sent to 221 people. In it, Bouchard wrote, “By registering to vote in Lewiston, you have declared residency in Maine, which has consequences for compliance with other Maine laws.”
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Dunlap said Wednesday that letters like Bouchard’s are often “directed at college students.” He said last year in Orono, an email spread among students that said if you registered to vote and voted in Orono, you could lose your out-of-state financial aid.
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The Lewiston Democratic Party issued a statement calling Bouchard’s letter “a blatant abuse of power.”
More:
https://www.pressherald.com/2018/03/08/lewiston-mayor-rejects-criticism-of-letter-to-new-voters/
Mayor Shane Bouchard