AARP OUTREACH – Vote safely at the polls or from home: AARP program enhances local outreach

by Patricia Pinto
AARP Maine Volunteer, State President

As you may recall from my previous column in The Town Line, AARP Maine is laser-focused on the protection of Social Security this election season. This remarkable program just celebrated its 85th year and we like to remind all Mainers that in good times and in bad, for each one of those 85 years, Social Security has never missed a payment. AARP will always fight to protect and strengthen Social Security. These are hard-earned benefits for over 240,000 retired Mainers and we believe it’s a promise that must be kept.

You may also be aware that AARP Maine recently launched “Protect Voters 50+,” a non-partisan voter engagement campaign to support and protect Mainers 50+ as they vote in the November election. We’re tracking key races and candidates’ positions on issues that matter to older voters such as protecting Social Security and Medicare, bringing down healthcare costs and strengthening the economy. These are issues that affect whole families and you can count on AARP here in Maine and across the country to augment the voices of our members on these critical matters.

Another crucial aspect of our “Protect Voters 50+” campaign centers on providing information about safe voting options. Working together, AARP Maine, the Maine Secretary of State, and election officials are reminding voters that while your local polling place will be open, you can also vote in the November election by absentee ballot. Please visit www.aarp.org/mainevotes for more information about voting safely this election season.

In addition, AARP Maine volunteers are bringing “Protect Voters 50+” right into local communities through our unique, non-partisan “Adopt-a-Clerk” program. This wonderful initiative matches volunteers with their town clerks to inform voters about safe voting options for the 2020 election. One clerk had this to say upon being contacted by two local AARP volunteers: “Being ‘adopted’ is the best thing that will happen this election! What a great program.”

Volunteers support town clerks and their staff in any way they can, making sure election information, voting deadlines and dates, necessary forms, and other helpful details are easily accessible to voters. This is one way our AARP Maine office can do its part to ensure that municipalities are ready for their voters whether they choose to vote absentee or come to the polls on Election Day. If you are interested in learning more about the “Adopt-a-Clerk” program, please send an email to me@aarp.org today.

The state of Maine needs every voter to participate in this election! Let’s vote safely, whether at the polls or from home.