Maine set a new record for turnout with November’s election. Almost 74 percent of the state’s voting-age population cast a ballot Nov. 2.

With more than 1 million citizens eligible to vote, 751,519 actually did. Only Minnesota had a higher voting percentage during the last election.

Maine’s voting rules are set up to encourage participation. Residents can wait until Election Day to register, a law that has been in effect since the 1970s.

But state Sen. Jonathan Courtney, looking for a problem we don’t think exists, would like to restrict registration, making the last day to sign up the Friday before balloting.

LD 270, An Act to Prohibit Same-day Registration, is meant as a precaution against voting fraud. But unlike states such as Ohio and Florida, where there have been allegations of widespread voting fraud and disenfranchisement, Maine’s elections run smoothly.

According to Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, speaking to the Portland Press Herald, only 468 voters were challenged during the general election last year. That’s a minuscule challenge rate of only .0006 percent.

Maine can take pride in the way it conducts elections. We have great participation, and there is an activist undercurrent that flows through the population. The tradition of local government encourages participation, and a series of laws – ranging from easy registration to publicly financed campaigns – encourages people to get involved.

The state shouldn’t move backwards by making voter registration more difficult. Election fraud is a serious issue, but there’s no evidence that it’s a serious problem in Maine. Making it easier to vote should be the priority. Not making it more difficult.