The Sun Journal editorial board obviously supports same-day voter registration laws.

Ever since the enactment by the Legislature of the modest proposal to change the law requiring new voters to register two days early, the Sun Journal has supported the position advocated by several special-interest groups.

The reasonable, common-sense change in Maine law simply protects the election system by allowing an inspection period similar to laws in 42 other states.

The fact that 19 people, staying at a hotel, used their hotel address as proof of residency should concern all voters. A two-day inspection period would have allowed a process where those temporary hotel voters could have been challenged and those votes would not have been allowed.

Maine law clearly requires new voters to declare residency.

Maine law does not allow anyone to become a resident for the day. Maine law does not allow traveling students or traveling nurses or visiting family members to become a resident for the day.

Without an inspection period, how do election officials assure that only qualified Maine residents vote?

The answer is we can’t, and the simple solution was to establish an inspection period under Maine law.

Common sense dictates that 42 other states have an inspection period for a reason — they understand that every effort must be made to maintain the security of the election process.

I support a “no” vote on Question 1 to protect the integrity of Maine’s elections.

Charles Webster, Farmington

Editor’s note: The 19 students referenced above were not traveling to Maine for one day. They were full-time students enrolled at St. Joseph’s College after having been displaced from their Caribbean medical school by a hurricane in 2004, and were being housed at the South Portland hotel because the college dorms were full. See Symm vs. United States on the constitutionality of voting rights of full-time students.