Get out and vote this Tuesday

By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

RAYMOND — It is a well-documented fact that more people go to the polls during a presidential election than during the other years.

Certainly, there are people who always fit in the time to vote on the second Tuesday in November.

In most area towns, the majority of the ballot items are state referendums.

Neither the Town of Raymond nor the Town of Naples has any local referendums on Tuesday’s ballot.

In Raymond, there is one person, Louise Douglas, running for a five-year term on the Portland Water District (PWD) Board of Trustees. That board has representatives from both Raymond and Windham. So far, no write-in candidates have come forward, according to Raymond Town Clerk Sue Look.

Until Thursday, voters can request absentee ballots without providing a state-sanctioned excuse for being absent on the polling date, Look said.

“The last day is Nov. 2” for people to pick up absentee ballots and not have a reason for doing so, she said.

“I’ve gotten a few. I’ve had 124 requested and 59 returned,” Look said last week.

She said she could not predict how many absentee ballots would be requested during the week before Nov. 7.

“It really depends on off-year elections. It goes with how heavy the advertising is,” Look said.

There are 4,057 registered voters in Raymond, according to the Town Clerk’s office. The number of registered voters in the Town of Naples is 3,149.

According to Naples Town Clerk Judy Whynot, there has been some interest in absentee voting

“Absentee ballots are being taken out. A rough estimate is 50. Some have been returned,” Whynot said.

“Yeah, as of Thursday, they have to have a special circumstance. Starting Nov. 2, they have to have a special reason” to take out an absentee ballot, she said.

In the Town of Casco, there are 3,059 registered voters, according to Casco Town Clerk Lucille Griffin. A total of 96 absentee ballots have been processed at the town hall as of Tuesday morning, she said.