Diamond gives push to voter registration > Secretary seeks signup in state offices

AUGUSTA — Allowing voter registrations in Division of Motor Vehicle offices has generated 500 signups in the past month, says Maine’s secretary of state, who also wants voters registered in welfare, tax and unemployment offices.

G. William Diamond, who authorized voter registrations in DMV offices on April 3, has asked Gov. John R. McKernan to OK signups in offices overseen by the administration.

The proposal is part of Diamond’s multipronged “Maine Voter 90” project aimed at generating more participation at the polls. Diamond is the state’s chief elections official.

McKernan Chief of Staff Sharon Miller said the administration will review Diamond’s suggestion during the coming months. The administration will look specifically into how much of an added administrative burden might be imposed on employees, and how much the program would cost.

Since April 3, a total of 500 Mainers registered for the first time to vote, or re-registered after moving, in four of the state’s 12 DMV offices where signups were permitted, Diamond aide David Costello said Thursday.

Diamond plans to authorize registrations in the other eight DMV offices after July 1. Beginning that day, voter registration applications filled in outside of town halls and election offices will not have to be notarized.

The streamlined registration process will make it easier to accept applications in unemployment, welfare, tax and other state offices, which “are frequented by a majority of voting-aged Mainers,” said Diamond.

State employees would only have to ask potential voters whether they are registered to vote at their present addresses, give them applications, make sure they are filled out completely and return them to the Elections Division, Diamond said in a letter to McKernan.

“If acceptable to you, my department would be happy to assist any interested state agency in implementing this worthy procedure,” Diamond’s letter said.

He added that nearly half of the states have some form of “agency based” voter registration.

As part of his initiative to sign up voters, Diamond plans programs to allow children to accompany their parents in voting booths, where they would fill in mock ballots, said Costello.

Children’s enthusiasm over the process would encourage their parents to vote, said Costello.

Diamond also plans to make registrations available when families moving to new communities register their children at schools.

The secretary wants to make registration applications available to homeless people who come into shelters, as well as to disabled and elderly people who might otherwise have difficulty registering.