Instead of saving Paris voters from having to come out more than once to get one recall election taken care of, 2 elections have been set: cost in the many hundreds of dollars, inconvenience for all. Maybe to make people mad? Make them forget to come out at all?
(Forget? Really? What town are they looking at?)
But Paris voters truly do have another option. (on this site 12-23-09) Absentee ballot voting is available for all registered voters. By law referendum ballot elections have to have ballots available 30 days prior to an election date, and that includes a recall election. 21-A MRSA §752. Two recall elections, Monday Feb. 1, the other Friday Feb. 5. If voters go to the town office January 6 (better call first to be sure) ballots for both recall elections should be available.
The ballot design is prescribed by law 21-A MRSA §601. It must state, in some form, that each candidate for recall is voted on separately, yes or no, no matter whether on one ballot, or 2 individual ballots. Note: it is not a matter of choosing one candidate for recall over the other candidate. Each individual candidate for recall must receive a yes or no vote.
Call the Paris Town Office to see when all ballots will be ready for both recall elections. Then you can go and vote early on all 4 candidates at one time.
