Election Season is Ramping up in Maine
By Caraline Squires | Staff Writer
For many young voters at USM, this year’s 2024 election is the first time we will use our voices to vote for the President of the United States. If you’re anything like me, you feel confused and overwhelmed, or you’re nothing like me and are completely unfazed by all the political turmoil that has been building up to this election ever since 2020. Either way, it’s important to be educated about the upcoming election so we can fulfill our civic duty to the best of our abilities. With each issue of the Free Press leading up to the election, this column will give you information on the upcoming election– the candidates running, what they stand for, how to register to vote, Maine issues on the ballot, and much more. In this issue, we’ll cover important things young Mainers should know about the election and a recap of the presidential debate on Tuesday, September 10. Before we begin, I want to inform readers that I am not a political scientist, just a young adult with a pen and a dream of making our generation’s votes count.
Important Dates:
October 7 – 31, in-person absentee voting for the general election will occur in Maine.
October 15 is the deadline for registering online or through the mail.
November 5th is the general election.
How To Register:
If you’re a Maine resident, you can register online at Registertovote.sos.maine.gov. On this website, you can also find the information to register through the mail. You can also register at your town’s local offices. The Portland town office is located at 389 Congress St., and the Gorham town office is at 75 South Street. You can also register at the polls on voting day, November 5. Remember to bring proof of Maine residency if it is your first time registering to vote! In Maine, you do not have to register with a political party to vote in the general election, and you can register as an independent instead.
If you’re voting in your home state but are here at USM, you can ensure your registration is up to date by visiting your state secretary’s website. If you cannot make it home to vote, request an absentee ballot once available in your state.
Notable Candidates for President:
Vice President Kamala Harris, running for the Democratic Party
Former President Donald Trump, running for the Republican Party
Jill Stein, running for the Green Party
Chase Oliver, running for the Liberation Party
Other Candidates Running:
Randell Terry, running for the Constitution Party
Cornel West, running as an Independent
Claudia De La Cruz, running for the Party for Socialism and Liberation
More information about each candidate running for president, as well as information about candidates running in state and local elections, will be in issues to come.
If you didn’t have four hours to spare on Tuesday, September 10, you’re in luck! Because I did. The notes I took during the presidential debate are a quick synopsis of the topics discussed and the tactics used by each opponent to try and snatch up your support. The moderators were ABC News Anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.
The Economy
The first issue discussed was the economy. Are we better off than we were four years ago? Harris claimed she wants to lift the American middle class with an opportunity economy, revealing she has plans to propose a six thousand dollar tax cut for young families and a fifty thousand dollar tax break for small businesses and start-ups. Trump claimed he wants to slap foreign countries with tariffs on incoming goods and that tariffs are the way to go. The moderators asked Harris to explain why the Biden administration has kept tariffs from the Trump Administration, but Harris avoided the question. Trump claimed that criminals are coming over the United States border and eating American pets in Ohio. Immigration is brought up throughout the debate by both Trump and the moderators.
Abortion
The next issue discussed was abortion. Trump claimed that nine-month abortions and post-birth executions are occurring in the United States and that he agrees with the rape, incest, and risk of the mother’s life exception rule that many pro-life states have enacted. Harris claimed the government has no right to tell a woman what to do with her body and that Trump supports a federal abortion ban. Trump rebutted– saying he is not in favor of said ban, but it wouldn’t matter if he was, because it’s a matter for the states. Trump also claimed Harris would be unable to install federal abortion protections because the Biden Administration could not install student loan forgiveness programs.
Immigration
Issue three was immigration. Harris claimed that Trump used his influence to stop a bipartisan immigration bill so he could run on a “problem” platform. Trump did not answer when the moderator asked his perspective on Harris’s claim. When asked about a deportation proposal, neither candidate answered the question directly.
Fracking
The fourth issue discussed was fracking, an issue that young voters care deeply about due to its ongoing effect on climate change. Harris stated she would not ban fracking and that the United States cannot rely on foreign oil. The fracking issue is a classic Catch-22. If we frack, the United States has its oil supply; if we don’t frack, we will depend on foreign oil. Other countries will continue to frack, the damage will still be done, and the United States will be worse off. Or, we continue to frack, and the Earth is worse off. The issue is complex and won’t be fixed in the next four years, so voters must decide who they think will put the United States in a better position for years to come. Trump did not explicitly say his opinion on fracking; instead used his time to claim that Harris keeps changing her stance on fracking.
Foreign Policy
Foreign policy was also discussed at length throughout the debate. Harris admitted that “far too many innocent Palestinians” have been killed in the ongoing war in Gaza. Trump rebutted by claiming Harris hates Israel and Arabs and that he believes Israel would not exist within two years of the Harris Administration. Harris claimed she supports a two-state solution, an answer many young voters don’t predict being a viable solution. Harris also claimed she supports a two-state solution that includes security for all Israelis and Palestinians, as well as self-determination for the people of Palestine. Harris did state that she “will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, particularly as it relates to Iran and its proxies.” Continuing arms deals with Israel is a deal breaker for many young voters. When asked how he would approach peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas, Trump claimed it would have never happened under his administration.
The discussion of foreign policy continued when the candidates were asked about the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. Trump and many other Americans believe NATO does not pay its fair share and that the United States should halt or diminish our funding of the war until more money is given by other NATO members. Trump claimed he would get Putin, the leader of Russia, and Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, together and end the war. He additionally claimed that “we’re playing with World War Three.” Trump was asked point blank, yes or no: is it in the United States’ best interest for Ukraine to win the war? Trump did not answer the question directly and stated that Russia has nuclear weapons.
The moderators asked Harris if she feels she bears any responsibility for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which resulted in the death of fourteen U.S. service members. Harris stated she supported Biden’s decision and didn’t answer the question directly.
Personal Campaigns
Moving on from foreign policy, the moderators asked Trump if he felt it was appropriate to weigh in on the racial identity of his opponent, referring to a comment former President Trump made about Harris “turning black.” Trump stated, “I don’t, and I don’t care and I don’t care what she is.” Trump’s comment about Harris was seen all over social media and by lots of young voters.
HealthCare
The next issue explicitly covered by moderators was healthcare. Moderators asked Trump if he has a plan to replace ObamaCare, also called the Affordable Care Act, nine years after he first claimed he wanted to dismantle it. Trump claimed Democrats would never vote on a plan made by him and that he decided to save ObamaCare for the good of the American people. Harris claimed she supports private health care but views health care as a human right, not a privilege. This answer may conflict with young voters as some support universal free government health care similar to Canada’s.
Climate Change
The final issue discussed by moderators was climate change, an extremely important issue to young voters. The moderators gave background context, stating that Trump says we need to have clean air and water and that Harris believes climate change is an existential threat. Neither candidate answered the question directly: What would they do to fight climate change?
Unmentioned
Still, there are many issues significant to young voters that were not discussed, including the job market, gun control, rising debt, the housing crisis, and what will be done to protect LGBTQIA+ rights. Many issues, like climate change, immigration, and the economy, were not sufficiently addressed policy-wise by either candidate.
Want to know how Brat by Charli XCX is somehow involved in the 2024 Election? Read the next issue of Politics Put Simply with more information about registering to vote and a deeper dive into what and who will be on the Maine state ballot this November.