Numbers of Greens growing in Maine Third party boosts rolls, but lacks cash

BANGOR – While the grass might be greener elsewhere, voting lists in Maine are as Green as they come, according to the most recent voter registration totals from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Statewide figures, released last week, found that as of November 2004 there were 24,155 registered Green Party voters in Maine – the highest percentage of any state and a 27 percent increase over the Maine party’s January 2004 enrollment.

Matt Tilley, co-chairman of the Maine Green Independent Party, on Friday was enthusiastic but a bit wary of the new total – a surprising jump of more than 5,000 registered Greens in less than a year.

“It’s remarkable in a way, but we’ll take it,” said Tilley, of Bangor, who attributed at least part of the increase to more younger voters entering the party and some likely duplication among town voting lists.

Tilley also credited the presence of Mainer Pat LaMarche on the national party’s 2004 presidential ticket, even though that ticket received less than 1 percent of the statewide vote.

“It seems like she raised some interest and enthusiasm,” Tilley said of LaMarche, who is considering a run for governor in 2006.

Nancy Allen, a spokeswoman for the Green Party of the United States, the national affiliate of the Maine Green Independent Party, offered a more philosophical reason for the increase.

“It’s a negative reaction to major parties,” said Allen, who lives in Castine. “People want a party that represents values.”

While Green membership remains a fraction of that of the major parties, as a percentage, the Maine Greens fared well. As of November 2004, there were 319,198 Democrats – a 7 percent increase over January 2004 – and 287,452 Republicans, a 5 percent increase.

Independents, or so-called “unenrolled” voters, again composed the largest group with 393,151 voters – a 7 percent increase.

Maine Greens, at 2.3 percent of the statewide electorate, boasted the highest percentage of Green voters anywhere in the country.

That distinction, however, is not surprising, Tilley said, considering Maine’s relatively small electorate – only about 1 million people – particularly compared with places such as California, which has about 158,000 Greens among the state’s nearly 17 million registered voters.

Ranked in terms of total Green voters, Maine places third behind California and New York, the latter of which has about 38,000 Greens.

But even as the Maine Greens appear to increase their rolls, the party continues its financial struggle, recently finding itself homeless in a sense. The party already has shut down its Portland office and is in the process of closing its Augusta office, said Tilley, predicting the move will save the party about $5,000 a year.

Without a headquarters, the party – which last year operated on about $15,000 – will hold its meetings at different locations throughout the state, he said.

“We’re going to take the show on the road,” Tilley said.