Lindsay Son

As college students, we have the unique luxury of choosing where to vote: at home or in Brunswick. With elections less than two weeks away, we encourage you to consider switching your vote to Maine unless you live in one of the following states: Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Texas or Georgia. Even if you voted at home in the primaries, there is time to change your registration, and we recommend that you do.

In this midterm election, traditional “swing states” are not necessarily battlegrounds. Historically deep-red states like Alaska and Texas are making national headlines for close polling. Blue-leaning states, like Maine, are now must-win seats for Democratic control of Congress. The road to a blue Capitol runs through Maine.

While there are many local races that matter, along with tight gubernatorial races across the country, we especially urge you to focus on the United States Senate for these midterm elections. Party control of the Senate will determine how much or how little constraint President Donald Trump is subjected to in his final two years in office. Do you want the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to stop terrorizing our communities? What about an end to the war in Iran? Do we want to reduce our cost of living, revitalize Medicare and protect reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights? The list of pressing issues is long and gets longer every day. The way to end this onslaught on American democracy is to flip the Senate, impose a check on Trump’s power and return decency and common sense to Washington.

Democrats are likely to take the House of Representatives—the Senate is the true battleground. To secure a blue Senate, we must secure a seat for Troy Jackson. Jackson, a lifelong Mainer and former logger from up north, is a staunch advocate for the working class. He’s someone who understands the challenges facing our communities; on the Hill, he’ll fight to abolish ICE, tax billionaires, establish a federal right to abortion, end the genocide in Gaza, create comprehensive protections for LGBTQ+ individuals and more.

In addition to Jackson’s strength as a candidate, his opponent has continuously worsened conditions for Mainers and Americans alike. Susan Collins voted to provide ICE with a staggering $70 billion budget, advance Trump’s cuts to Medicaid and confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.

As you’ve certainly seen on TV, the attack ads against Jackson have been fierce and constant. You may be wondering: Is what Collins says about Jackson really true? It’s important to note that these claims are not genuinely representative of the politics and character of the candidates that are up for election. According to the Bangor Daily News, networks of Republican super PACs and nonprofits have spent nearly $126 million in ads to reelect Susan Collins. These donors—who are largely unnamed billionaires—are paying to skew voters’ impressions of Jackson, fueled by personal and business motives that Collins’ elitist politics enables. A vote for Jackson in Maine is a vote against these harmful politics.

For Mainers, we have some voting recommendations for you as well! A vote in District 1 (CD-1) is not the same as a vote in District 2 (CD-2). CD-2, which encompasses parts of Maine north of the Portland and Camden areas, is facing an intense race in the House, pitting Democrat Matt Dunlap against former governor and Republican Paul LePage. CD-1, on the other hand, has a much less competitive race, with incumbent Democrat Chellie Pingree running for reelection. The stakes in CD-2 greatly outweigh those of CD-1, which is why we urge any residents of CD-2 to remain registered in that district and make a plan to vote at those polling locations. To determine which district you reside in, you can use the State of Maine’s Voter Information Lookup Service. Even within Maine, it’s important to do your due diligence and make sure your ballot is doing the most it can to help turn Congress blue.

Early voting is happening at Brunswick Town Hall

at 85 Union Street until October 29, meaning you still have time to get your vote in before Election Day. The Town Hall is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and you can still do same-day registration. To register in person, know the street address of your dorm (e.g. Osher Hall = 29 South Street) and the last four digits of your Social Security Number and bring a form of ID. If voting early does not work for you, Bowdoin Votes will be running shuttles to the polls every 15 minutes on Election Day, November 3. Please have a plan to vote in Maine!

We hope this advice is helpful and that you take these stakes into account when deciding where and when to cast your vote. By voting early and voting in Maine, you can ensure you get the best bang for your ballot!

Members of the Bowdoin Democrats Officer Team include Brittany Yue ’27, Maggie Zeiger ’28, Dani Hicock ’28, Caden Christopher ’30, May Ruthman ’30 and Sadie DelVecchio ’30.