Maybe I live too sheltered of a life now. I know the Town Clerk in the small coastal town in Maine that I live in. I have served on the Planning Board. My wife has worked many elections. Registering to vote in Maine is relatively liberal, with same day registration allowed on Election Day. I always thought that dirty tricks and partisanship were just a thing that you find in the South. Silly me.
My Dad sends out a daily news email with a few paragraphs of each story and the URL. He always keeps an eye out for news in Maine. Here is a particularly scary story from the next town over from mine:
Voting flap targets
By Christina Sobran
Courier Gazette
ROCKLAND -- The Secretary of State's office has fielded complaints alleging inappropriate conduct by Evelyn Smyth, Rockland's registrar of voters.
Complaints range from concerns about partisanship and rudeness to a lack of willingness to register new voters and comply with state laws.
City residents registering to vote in Smyth's office at City Hall will not find a legally required placard informing them of their voting rights. But they will find a poster critical of former President Bill Clinton and liberal Democrats.
Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn said she has received calls from Knox County residents who complained about the "Clinton-bashing" poster in Smyth's office, and others who reported Smyth has improperly refused to accept voter registration cards.
This week, a person whose mother resides at a local nursing home called to report what she viewed to be unprofessional behavior by Smyth regarding absentee voting rights for nursing home residents. Flynn said she has not yet had time to pursue the most recent complaint.
Two Knox County residents reported Smyth rejected registration cards that were completed during door-to-door canvassing activities in Rockland. Both canvassers are Democrats, but the cards included undeclared and Republican voters as well, they said.
[MORE]
http://www.courierpub.com/articles/2004/10/20/couriergazette/local_news/f1voting.txt
It is well worth your time to read the rest of the story. What is the best way to deal with a registrar like this?