AUGUSTA, Maine — Concerned voters contacted the Maine Elections and Commissions bureau, which the Maine Secretary of State oversees, about mail from the Bloomberg campaign.
According to a news release from Secretary of State Matt Dunlap's office, several voters recently received mail from the Bloomberg campaign that inaccurately suggests that any voter can participate in the Maine Democratic primary on March 3. The primary is closed, meaning only voters who are registered as members of the Democratic party can vote in the primary.
The Republican primary, on the same day, is also closed. It only has one name on the ballot: Donald Trump.
The Bloomberg campaign said in a statement that the letter was intended to introduce Bloomberg to Democrats and unaffiliated voters in the state.
“These voters can show up on election day, register, and vote in the Democratic primary. We regret any confusion this may have caused,” the statement said.
The Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap wants to clear up the confusion and remind voters of the primary laws.
Voters who are currently unenrolled, or who are registering to vote for the first time, can choose to enroll in a party at any time, up to and including Election Day, Dunlap explains. “Voters who were enrolled in the Libertarian, Socialist or Alliance political parties should note that they are now unenrolled, as those parties have not met the party qualification standards in law. Accordingly, those voters are also eligible to enroll as Republicans or Democrats if they wish to participate in either of those presidential primary elections.”
