Many have voiced fears about problems with the upcoming November elections. Action needs to be taken so that all eligible voters are confident that the system will record their choices properly.

• In-person voting will take more time and cost more in the ongoing pandemic. Polls will need distancing, personal protective equipment and sanitizing. They will also need more staffing, since many poll workers (most of whom are over 60) will likely stay home this year.

• Mail-in ballots will increase as voters seek to avoid crowds. Although there is no evidence of fraudulent absentee voting, election officials will need to process many more of them.

• In the past month, under a rookie postmaster, the U.S. Postal Service has been accused of substantially delaying the handling of first class mail in Maine, potentially threatening the timely receipt of absentee ballots.

• There are already credible reports of interference from bad actors. Foreign powers strive to create confusion and disarray. More than a few state election officials have reported attempts to break into their computers. Individual hackers (most recently a Florida teen) are attacking Twitter accounts and authoritative websites that the public relies on.

America’s democracy and this country’s future depends on secure and fair elections. Elected officials need to act on election security legislation (now languishing in the Senate) and to provide the funding necessary to protect the November elections at all levels.

Anne Williams, Lewiston

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