Editor,

In Maine we are lucky to have such high rates of voter participation. In many states, there are laws that make it hard to vote. Laws that are aimed at limiting the ability of different groups to participate are undemocratic and should be overturned. We have few such barriers in the state, but one major one remains: the requirement that voters be registered with a political party in order to vote in primaries.

35 percent of voters in Maine are not affiliated with any party. That is the largest block of voters in the state. Ironically, if unenrolled voters were a political party, it would be the largest one. Even though all of Maine’s tax-payers chip in to fund party primaries, so many people are barred from participating because they don’t wish to join a political party.

Joining a party should not be a prerequisite for voting in the primaries. That’s why I support passing LD 211, which would allow everyone who isn’t registered in a party to vote in primaries. When everyone has a say, that is what makes a democracy a democracy. Please join me in voicing your support of Open Primaries in the State of Maine.

Kevin Evans,

Kittery