LEWISTON – An effort to register young voters must walk a fine line, councilors said Tuesday.

The city gave organizers of a Sept. 27 Rock the Vote concert a green light, but urged organizers to keep politics out of it.

“I love the idea of voter registration, but I’m nervous about voter education,” Councilor Robert Reed said. “I get worried that something else will be going on.”

The concert is being co-sponsored by downtown Lewiston eatery She Doesn’t Like Guthries and the League of Young Voters, a national political organization. It features nine local Maine performers playing on an open-air stage on Middle Street in front of the restaurant beginning at noon on Sept. 27.

Guthries owner Heather Morin said she hoped the event would draw up to 200. The city will close off Middle Street between Main and Oak streets during the concert.

Katie Diamond, communications director for the league, said the group will have information booths about Maine ballot issues and candidates. The most important job will be getting people registered to vote in November’s election.

“We decided to come to Lewiston because it has a young, diverse populace with rich culture – and a huge college base,” she said. It will be the third in a series of concerts. The group is sponsoring a show in Gardiner on Sept. 17 and in Portland on Sept. 22.

Diamond said organizers will present information about ballot issues.

“But that’s it,” she said. “We won’t be telling anyone how to vote.”

Councilor Reed said he wasn’t so sure. He visited the group’s Web site and noted that it did organize against last year’s Tax Payers Bill of Rights amendment. The event is sponsored by progressive groups, including the Maine People’s Alliance and the Western Maine Labor Council.

“You say you are nonpartisan, but your Web site says otherwise,” he said.

Diamond said the group is progressive, but plans to limit itself to nonpartisan education. The group is a registered nonprofit and must remain nonpartisan.

“Then it seems to me it should be easy enough to verify,” Councilor Tom Peters said. “Councilor Reed, if you or anyone else wants to monitor these tables to see what is being said, you could determine for yourself. If they are doing anything biased, they could lose their tax-exempt status.”