We know everyone is getting busier and busier with holiday celebrations. Hanukkah Sameach! We hope everyone will stay safe and healthy. Here are some updates and upcoming events for this week.
NEWS:
Presidential Electors Cast Ballots in Electoral College Proceedings: The convening of the Electoral College in Maine will begin at 2:00 p.m. today in the House Chamber at the State House in Augusta. You can see the certification of Maine’s presidential electors here. Presidential electors will cast their ballots during the ceremony, and those ballots will be counted and tallied. The Maine State House is currently closed to the public, but interested parties may view the proceedings via the House Chamber livestream here. Other states’ electors will also meet today, though the times vary by state.
New SOS: New Secretary of State (SOS) Shenna Bellows will be sworn in on January 4. There will be a special election to fill Shenna's senate seat in District 14. The special election will likely take place in January.
ICYMI: In the November 3 election, Alaska passed Ballot Measure 2. The measure includes three election reforms that we applaud: open primaries, Ranked Choice Voting, and campaign finance reform. It's a "three birds with one stone" measure that will reduce partisanship and elect leadership committed to moving Alaska forward. Congratulations to them and to our colleagues in the League of Women Voters of Alaska who supported the measure!
Here in Maine: The 130th Legislature has been sworn in. It is likely to be a session unlike any other as lawmakers contend with governing during a pandemic. Cloture is the deadline for legislators to submit proposed bills for consideration. Although it has often been postponed by leadership agreement in past legislatures, we are hearing that the December 18 date will be firm for this unprecedented pandemic session.
Data Drop: The final Absentee Ballot Data File was posted by the SOS at the beginning of this weekend. It includes some useful summary statistics. Have a look. We may have more thoughts on this next week, after we’ve had a chance to look it over.
WHAT THE LEAGUE IS WORKING ON:
To create the kind of change voters want to see in our democracy, our next administration and Congress must support the passage of HR 1 — the For the People Act — a once-in-a-generation democracy reform package to clean up our political system, get big money out of politics, hold elected officials accountable for corruption, expand and protect voting rights, and create a democracy that values the voices of all Americans. Read more about HR 1 from the Brennan Center here. Contact Senator King and Senator Collins and urge them to support HR 1 in 2021.