It was great to welcome so many new and returning members to our August 2022 meeting! Here is our follow-up email with reminders, links and other timely info, which we hope is useful whether you were able to attend or not. (Complete meeting minutes will be distributed prior to our next meeting.)
Please note: Senate President Troy Jackson was scheduled to join us, but when he tried to Zoom in from Madawaska, unfortunately he couldn’t get a strong enough signal to connect. He sends his regrets and hopes to attend a future meeting.
Important Dates
- End-of-Summer Picnic and September meeting will be SATURDAY September 10, 1pm-4pm in Northport. Save the date – more details to come soon!
- October meeting will be the FIRST Sunday of the month – October 2 – to avoid the Indigenous Peoples Day holiday weekend.
We heard campaign updates from candidates Betty Johnson (County Commissioner District 1), Rep. Jan Dodge (House District 39), and Pam Swift (House District 62), plus campaign manager Chris Marshall for Rep. Paige Zeigler (House District 40) about what’s happening on the campaign trail. The big focus is on “doing doors” – knocking on doors to talk directly with voters. Other activities include getting the last few $5 qualifying contributions, putting out yard signs, making phone calls, and attending events. If you can help, please reach out to individual campaigns – you can find contact info here (you’ll also see which towns are in which districts).
Aubrey Powers, MDP’s Voter Protection Director, brought us up to speed on efforts to insure fair and equal access to the polls for all Mainers. Visit (and share!) the new website www.voteinmaine.com, where you can request an absentee ballot, learn about early voting, and find answers to questions about Maine voting laws. Sign up to be a poll observer or voter protection hotline volunteer at https://www.mobilize.us/mainedems/event/487308. Contact Aubrey directly at apowers@mainedems.org or (440)785-3328.
Sue Conard is organizing a get-out-the-vote postcard mailing targeting left-leaning, inconsistent voters to encourage them to vote absentee. If you can help write a note on some of the 2500 cards we plan to mail, or want to support the effort with a donation, please contact Sue at sgconard@aol.com.
The Campaign & Engagement Subcommittee invited new members to participate in their September meeting on Wednesday September 21 at 5:30pm. The subcommittee is planning volunteer engagement and training opportunities for the coming months, among other things. Please contact Chair Valerie Tate at valerietate2001@yahoo.com to get involved.
The pie sale fundraiser at the Belfast Street Party was a major success, with 50 pies and quiches donated and sold! Mary Lou Carhart organized the event (and made 8 pies). We sold more than $1000 worth of pie and quiche, whole and by the slice. Thank you to Mary Lou and all who contributed to the effort with your baking, donation, or work at the event.
We are happy to report that Democrats from 25 towns in Waldo County participated in local organizing meetings in June and July. At least three new regional committees covering half a dozen towns are forming, and a number of other towns are becoming active under new or returning leadership. We’ll have a complete list of all the Municipal and Regional Committees up on our website soon.
We voted to simplify the process to become a County Committee member. Any interested Democrat may contact WCDC to request membership. We will notify their Municipal or Regional Committee and then hold a vote at the next County Committee meeting. WCDC can be contacted at info@waldocountydemocrats.com, sarasalley@outlook.com or 232-1028.
Preregister for the October 2 WCDC meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpd-6uqDwtH9DG6tkNxoAu_LZVL4LcPnX8.