LD 1376, which would ban same-day voter registration, could be voted on any day now by the Legislature. I hope the Legislature does the right thing and votes down this bill.

Voting is a fundamental right, one of the only things that every citizen is obligated to do to make democracy work. Voting is, literally, the cornerstone of the democratic system.

Right now, Maine’s voting laws make it simple for every eligible voter to participate. That’s critically important, because too many people in Maine, and especially in the Lewiston/Auburn area, have enough on their plates just trying to make ends meet.

The extra task of going to City Hall before Election Day to register might seem small to some, but for those people working two or three jobs, raising kids, or trying to go to school, it could be the one thing that keeps them from voting.

Even one eligible voter turned away from the polls is too many. This bill will disenfranchise the poor, the elderly, and the young.

As a young person (who rents and moves frequently), I used same-day registration in order to vote in the 2010 election. It would be a shame to see thousands of young, eligible people like myself get turned away from the polls just because of living arrangements.

We’ll find out soon if the Legislature sees it that way.

Tony Damiano, Lewiston