Dear Editor:

This month, The Meyers Report issued an “Election Rules Review.” It is an assessment of voting rules in all 50 states including DC and 36 nations. Only two nations, the US and Germany received failing scores. Over half of the states received a failing score. Maine, with a score of 41, was ranked near the bottom of the failing states.

Subject matter experts selected 17 election areas for review based on risk. The 17 areas were: 1) citizen only voting, 2) same day registration, 3) ranked choice voting, 4) in person early voting days, 5) mail in ballots allowed, 6) qualifying for absentee ballots, 7) possible mail in ballot voting days, 8) accepting late ballots, 9) ballot harvesting, 10) voter ID for voting and registration, 11) small precincts, 12) paper ballots, 13) finger marking, 14) manual or machine vote counting, 15) routine audits, 16) quick results in 2024, and lastly, 17) citizens access to voter rolls.

Each election area had a point value. The three top risk areas; mail in ballots, voter ID, and access to voter rolls, were assigned a value of 10 points. The remaining 14 areas were assigned a value of five points. Points were awarded to rate how well risk was mitigated. A perfect score would be 100. Nations and states were grouped into general categories: “good” between 100 and 75, “marginal” between 74 and 65 and “failing” less than 64.

The highest national score was 95. The US and Germany were tied for lowest at 60. Ninety-four percent of nations received a passing grade. More than half of the states received a fail. It is important to understand that this was a study of election rules only. The study did not consider whether the rules were implemented and enforced. Maine is now in a battle to add a requirement for use of a Voter ID. That extra 10 points would bring us from near the bottom to the middle of the group of failing states.

To review the report, type “The Meyer Report Election rules review” into the URL address box and select the desired site.

Joe Grant

Wiscasset