Secretary Dunlap to visit polling places, present awards on Election Day

AUGUSTA - Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, Maine's top election official, will be visiting polling places throughout the day on Primary Election/ Referendum Election Day, Tuesday, June 12, with two special stops to present awards to poll workers.

Secretary Dunlap will present the prestigious National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Medallion Award to three elections volunteers:

• Frank Castonguay, warden, Town of Livermore. Castonguay is a lifelong resident and has served as warden for 14 years. He was nominated for recognition by Town Clerk Renda J. Guild.
  
• Joanne Knowlton, ballot clerk, Town of Freedom; and Thressa Abbott, moderator and town warden, Town of Freedom. Both were nominated for recognition by Town Clerk Cynthia Abbott.

"Our elections process is dependent upon the dedication of our clerks and all of the volunteers who give their time to ensure that the voting process goes smoothly at all of the polling places across the state," said Dunlap. "What better time to recognize their commitment than on Election Day?"

The NASS Medallion Award was created to honor individuals, groups or organizations with an established record of promoting the goals of NASS, including in elections, with special emphasis on voter education and participation.

Secretary Dunlap will be available to speak to the press at the following polling places throughout the day:

• 7:15 a.m.: Old Town, Knights of Columbus Hall, 5 Gilman Falls Ave.
• 10:30 a.m.: Livermore, Town Office, 10 Crash Road
• 11:30 a.m.: Lewiston, Memorial Armory, 65 Central Ave.
• 1:15 p.m.: Portland, Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall, 20 Myrtle St.
• 2:40 p.m.: Augusta, Civic Center, 76 Community Drive (40 mins to Livermore)
• 3:45 p.m.: Freedom, Town Office, 71 Pleasant St.
• 5:30 p.m.: Bangor, Cross Insurance Center, 515 Main St.

Polls open in most municipalities beginning between 6-10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Secretary Dunlap is encouraging all eligible voters to cast their ballots, reminding them that Election Day voter registration at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/voter-info/voterguide.html is an option in Maine. Voters who are not yet enrolled in a party may enroll on Election Day and vote in that party's primary. Voters can find polling places and times via the State of Maine Voter Information Lookup Service at http://www.maine.gov/portal/government/edemocracy/voter_lookup.php .

All voters will receive a referendum ballot with the People's Veto question at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/index.html . Those who are enrolled in a party will also receive a primary ballot for candidate nominations. Four of those races will be conducted using the new method of ranked-choice voting: The Democratic and Republican nominations for the office of Governor; the Democratic nomination for the Representative to Congress in Congressional District 2; and the Republican nomination for Representative to the Maine Legislature in House District 75. For more information about the election, visit the Upcoming Elections page at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/index.html .