BANGOR – The Bangor city clerk’s office and the Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross will join forces next week for an event that will benefit them both.

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, the city and Red Cross will present a combination voter registration drive and blood drive at the Red Cross donor center at 900B Hammond St.

Besides an opportunity to get two civic duties done at once, the event will include a barbecue featuring hot dogs and food donated by Texas Roadhouse and a live radio remote broadcast by Q106.5 FM.

The goal for the event is to sign up at least 60 new voters and collect at least that many units of blood, Trudy Darling, marketing and media account executive, said Friday.

“It’s sort of like a donor-voter appreciation day,” Darling said.

Dubois said the combined blood and voter drive was the brainchild of Michael Gleason, the city’s deputy registrar of voters.

“He threw the idea out there and I said, ‘Sure, let’s run with it,'” Dubois said. “It’s a win-win for all of us. They could use the blood donations and we really want to get information out about the [Nov. 4] elections and our early voting program.

“We’re also hoping to use this as a training opportunity for election workers,” Dubois said, adding that election workers have been undergoing a great deal of training in anticipation of Election Day.

At that time, voters will weigh in on a presidential race, elect state lawmakers and congressional delegation members, and in Bangor, fill City Council and school committee seats and decide whether the city ought to repeal the left-turn prohibition from State Street to Howard Street.

Though the voter registration event takes place in Bangor, voters from other municipalities can be accommodated, Dubois said.

“We can still register [nonresidents] and forward the [voter registration card] to the appropriate town,” she said.

Dubois said that in order to register to vote, one must be 18 on or before Nov. 4 and a Maine resident. Those registering to vote should bring identification.

To donate blood, Darling said, one must be 17 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in reasonably good health. Identification also is required.

Blood donors will receive one of the Pine Tree Chapter’s new “Proud Maine blood donor” T-shirts, which Darling pointed out fits in nicely with the day’s election theme.

Darling said blood donors may make appointments by calling 941-2900.