Do You Have a Voting Plan?

Did you know that people are more likely to vote if they have a plan in place ahead of time? Writing out a voting plan or talking about it with someone lets you understand what you need to know ahead of time to make Election Day a breeze.

So what does a voting plan entail? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Where is your polling place? Maine.gov offers a handy Voter Information Lookup System to help you know for sure. This tool will also show you which candidates are on your ballot.
  

• When do you plan to vote? There are a couple of easy ways you can cast your ballot between now and Election Day.
  

  • If you’re planning to vote early via an in-person absentee ballot, meaning you fill out your absentee ballot at your town clerk’s office, you can do so through November 3.
    

  • If you plan to vote on Election Day, pick a time that works best for you. Some polling places open as early as 6 AM, and polls close statewide at 8 PM. Check your town website or contact your town clerk to find out when your polling place opens.
    

• How are you getting to the polls? Are you walking to the polls or driving yourself there? Are you getting a ride from someone or giving another person a ride? Will you take public transportation? A few things to know:
  

  • Public transportation in the Greater Portland, Bangor, and Lewiston-Auburn areas has been free on Election Day in the past, and will likely be so again.
    

  • Uber and Lyft are offering 50% off rides to the polls.
    

• Are there actions you need to take to execute your voting plan? Do you need to take time off work or secure childcare in order to cast your vote? If you haven’t voted in Maine before or have recently moved, you may also want to check your voter registration status. Same-day voter registration is available, but make sure you bring your driver's license number or Social Security number and a form of ID with your name and address (a piece of mail addressed to you at your physical address also counts).

Making a voting plan is one of the easiest and most important ways you can prepare yourself to cast your ballot. It’s never been easier to vote in Maine, so make sure you get out and vote on or before November 8!

Energy Assistance is On the Way for Small Businesses

In response to this year’s massive swing in electric rates, the Maine Legislature and Governor Mills passed LD 2010 – a bill proposed by Senate President Troy Jackson to provide small businesses some relief from high energy costs. This legislation makes tiered credits available for small businesses with high electricity costs based on their usage.

Now the Governor’s office has announced that more than 2,900 small businesses across the state will be receiving these one-time utility assistance credits as part of Governor Mills’ Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan. More than $7 million was invested in this program, meaning each business will receive a credit of at least $2,300 to offset its energy costs.

“Increases in the cost of energy are hurting Maine small businesses, and we are stepping up to help,” said Governor Janet Mills. “This utility credit will provide more than $2,000 in relief to help small businesses deal with higher energy prices, delivering a small measure of relief for our business owners. We will continue to do all we can to help Maine businesses and Maine people deal with high costs.”

“In the middle of an energy crisis driven in part by conflict overseas and corporate greed, we must do everything we can to help small business owners and everyday Maine families. This starts with the tiered energy credit for eligible small businesses,” said Senate President Troy Jackson. “I’m hopeful that this credit will provide some much-needed relief to businesses with higher energy burdens that are an essential part of rural communities like mine."

Thank you to Senator Jackson and Governor Mills for working together to curb electric costs for our small businesses!

Thousands Of Mainers Stand To Benefit From Closure Of The “Family Glitch.”

The Biden Administration recently announced that the Treasury Department is finalizing a fix to the so-called Family Glitch in the Affordable Care Act.

We previously reported on this flaw where workers who can afford employer healthcare plans for themselves are covered, but their whole family loses eligibility to buy healthcare plans in the ACA marketplace at a reduced price, even if the employer’s plan doesn’t offer affordable coverage for family members.

In a recent statement, President Biden said he wants to make sure “the law works the way Congress intended.”

Fixing the Family Glitch would ensure that an additional 5 million uninsured Americans have health insurance – 34,000 of whom are Mainers.

That includes working Mainers like John Farr of Winslow, who could no longer afford healthcare coverage for his family after a salary raise put him just $600 ($50 per month) beyond the limit for MaineCare.

The closure of the Family Glitch means family members of workers currently without health insurance will be able to access affordable coverage through CoverME.gov as early as next month.

Mainers for Working Families believes every Mainer deserves quality healthcare they can afford. We commend the Biden Administration and our leaders in the Maine Legislature for their efforts to make healthcare more accessible and affordable.