Dropsite News - On Thursday morning, the University of New Hampshire released its survey of the race, finding 58% of Maine Democrats are backing Platner and just 24% are behind the sitting governor. (Jordan Wood, whom Drop Site reported on previously, sat at 1%.) The survey found Platner and Mills competitive with voters over 65 (with Platner up 39-34) but with Platner crushing Mills among all other Democratic voters. The winner will take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins. The survey went into the field the day that CNN and Politico first revealed his Reddit posts, and wrapped just as the tattoo story was breaking.
Rep. Melanie Sachs - This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that federal funding will not be issued for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the month of November due to the ongoing government shutdown.
SNAP is the nation's largest food-security program, and around 170,000 Mainers – a large portion of which are children – depend on the program for daily nutrition. If this critical funding doesn’t become available, many families across our state won’t be able to put food on the table.
The current moment we’re in is both dismaying and disheartening. Worst of all, it’s also entirely avoidable.
The president and his allies in Congress are continuing to keep the federal government shut down because they are refusing to preserve the tax credits that help thousands of working families in Maine afford their health insurance.
As a result, Mainers could see their health care costs skyrocket in addition to losing basic food assistance, all in the span of a few weeks...
While we wait for the federal government shutdown to end, 211 Maine is available to help connect Mainers with other available resources. You can also contact the offices of members of the congressional delegation with questions about federal programs and benefits.
Press Herald - Among Maine residents who plan to vote in the November election, 48% support Question 1, which would require voters to show photo identification in order to cast a ballot and make other changes to election laws; 49% of those polled are against the measure while 3% were unsure, according to the polling released Thursday by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.
Question 2 ask voters if they want to put in place a new “red flag” law making it easier to confiscate firearms from a person in crisis by allowing family members, in addition to law enforcement, the ability to petition a judge for a temporary removal order. The process wouldn’t require a mental health evaluation as is required in Maine’s current law − a change that supporters say will make the new law easier to use and remove stigmas around mental health. On that referendum, 38% percent of voters polled said they support Question 2 while 40% were opposed and 22% were unsure.
Press Herald - Political newcomer Graham Platner has more than twice the support of Gov. Janet Mills among Democratic primary voters, according to the first public polling on the race that could determine who challenges U.S. Sen. Susan Collins for her seat in 2026. The poll released Thursday by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center showed 58% of Democratic primary voters said they plan to support Platner, a military veteran and oyster farmer from Hancock County, while 24% favored Mills, who is nearing the end of her second term as governor.
What are Voter Registration Acknowledgement Notices? The forms are routinely sent out by local election officials to confirm voter registrations or changes to them, but sometimes cause confusion. Here’s what you need to know about Voter Registration Acknowledgement Notices — and what you should do if you get one.
Wells Police Department cancels partnership with ICE
Lyme disease cases in Maine have already surpassed last year’s record total, despite the ongoing drought that doesn’t appear to have had much of an effect on tick activity. As of Oct. 14, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention had reported 3,569 cases, already surpassing the record of 3,218 set for all of 2024.