Voting rights advocates and college students in Maine are hoping to defeat a pair of bills that could make it more difficult for some people to vote. The Legislature will hold a public hearing on Wednesday to weigh the proposals, which have emerged at a time when Republican leaders, including the president, are saying the electoral system is wrought with voter fraud. The bill sponsored by House Republican Leader Ken Fredette deals with a section of voting law dealing with people who tend to move around — military service members and college students. But Fredette’s bill only targets students. It would require them to do one of three things before they can vote: register their car in Maine, prove they pay income or property taxes or show a driver’s license with a residence that matches where they want to vote. Fredette says the proposal is simple, to ensure that college students claiming Maine residency on Election Day are actually residents. “The last thing I want to do is disenfranchise anyone from voting,” he says. “However, we do have a Constitution and the Constitution says you in fact have to be a resident to vote.” But opponents have a different view.
“Any time that a bill targets a specific population for stricter rules before they can vote, that is voter suppression and it is unconstitutional,” says Oami Amarasingham of the ACLU of Maine.
Amarasingham says Fredette’s bill contributes to voter suppression because it singles out a specific type of voter. Right now, college students are treated like everyone else who wants to vote here. To register, all they need is a utility bill or something else that shows they’re living here.
Amarasingham says that by restricting the proof of residency options for college students, the bill makes it harder for them to vote.
Full Article: ‘Voting Integrity’ or Voter Suppression? Pair of Bills Take Aim at College Voters | Maine Public.