Same-day voter registration has served the state of Maine well, but change can be a good thing. Forty years ago, lawmakers could not have anticipated there would be upward of 50,000 people taking advantage of a system allowing them to register on the day of voting.

This designed “safety net” for those allegedly unable to register to vote on anything other than Election Day has been overused, and abused, by individuals who have been led to believe by all-too-liberal elected officials that they are entitled to this controversial and convenient “right.”

If people care about the right to vote, then it is the responsibility of concerned and informed citizens to make certain, prior to Election Day, that they are registered to vote.

This is not a “disenfranchising issue,” as some uninformed, race-baiting people claim; it is simply a method to ensure that those who vote are legally allowed to do so.

Town and city clerks must be able to conduct a search as to the legitimacy of their possible vote — no really big inconvenience. The public can be helpful to the town and city clerks by saying “thank you” for their service and not overburden them with same-day registration; after all, at least 42 other states do not allow same-day registration and there are no loud voices existing at those polling places wanting change.

Doesn’t it make sense to allow the clerks to conduct their jobs in a more efficient manner than what currently exists?

Tom Curtis, Norway