Maine Equal Justice

👉👉Early Voters - today is your day! It's the last day to go down to your town office and vote early in person. Let's break early voting records again this year! Thank you for casting a ballot, Equal Justice Voters!

Big thanks to Kristen Phillips, Maine Equal Justice's Community Outreach intern pictured here, for all you're doing to help people access the information and confidence they need to register and vote, some for the first time!

More info in this great article from ! https://loom.ly/wqh2AG4

"Thursday is the last day for most voters in Maine to request an absentee ballot or cast an absentee ballot in person at their municipal office.

No-excuse absentee voting, which allows voters to cast ballots early for any reason, whether from home or in person at their town or city hall, ends at the close of business Thursday.

After the close of business Thursday, voters may still request and receive an absentee ballot when special circumstances exist, such as an unexpected hospitalization.

All absentee ballots must be returned to municipal clerks by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted."

📢 Enter to win $1,800 to help with your expenses! If you’re having a hard time making ends meet in 2024, you're not alone. Help us find out how people in Maine are getting by, so we can make the right kind of change together! Go to: https://maineequaljustice.org/get-involved/2024-community-survey/
👏 Give us a piece of your mind! 😬
👏 Share your ideas for making Maine more livable!
👏 Say what YOU think should matter in Augusta or D.C.
👏 Drawing for $1,800 (must fill out contact info to enter) in December!

All treats, no tricks here! If you help support our work (housing! food security! economic security for all!) by Halloween, your donation will be DOUBLED. Pitch in here: https://loom.ly/ziga6Lk

⏰ Reminder! Vote early at your City/Town Hall during business hours BY OCT. 31. Find info about your ballot at https://bit.ly/MEvote2024! (After Thursday, you'll still be able to return your absentee until 8 pm on Election Day or vote in person on Election Day!)

🏷️ Tag MEJ on your early vote selfie and we'll post it to our stories to encourage more voters!

Thank you for your support and partnership in this work, Klingenstein Philanthropies! Invest in Tomorrow is an initiative undertaken by Maine organizations, businesses, and individuals to cut Maine’s child poverty rate in half over the next ten years as a bold step toward eradicating child poverty in a generation. More information at www.investintomorrow.me!

Congratulations to Maine Equal Justice Partners, Inc. on receiving the Sadie & Harry Davis Foundation Patricia D. Klingenstein Grant to support the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition that aims to increase income supports and eliminate barriers to work and economic stability to provide families with low incomes a sustainable path out of poverty. https://maineequaljustice.org/

⏰ Reminder! Vote early at your City/Town Hall during business hours BY OCT. 31. Find info about your ballot at https://bit.ly/MEvote2024!

Early voting makes your planning easier, whether you need to save time, arrange child care or your work schedule, or ask for a ride to the polls! Cast your vote with confidence (and probably no line)!

👍/❤️ If you already voted or you plan to vote early!

📢 It takes ALL of us to make change! Are you solid about your own plan to vote but unsure what else to do now? "Triple" your vote by making sure family and friends have info and a plan to vote too!

🇺🇸Sign up for info from MEJ you can foward to friends and family: https://bit.ly/justicevoters24
🇺🇸Or simply share this helpful guide from League of Women Voters! https://bit.ly/MEvote2024

📢 UPDATE! Read MEJ's guide to the EPP on our website: https://maineequaljustice.org/publications/2410-rent-relief-eviction-prevention-pilot-program/

📢 The Eviction Prevention Program (EPP) is now OPEN for applications from Maine renters! This is a pilot program for 2024-2026 which will pay rent for qualified Maine tenants for up to 12 months. Income and rent costs determine who qualifies. To check if you can get help, and to apply, go to https://loom.ly/ORq4RiA.

🚧 At this time, the application is posted in only English. Language helpers, please reach out to community members who have language barriers to help them apply ASAP! This is a first come, first serve program.

It's spooky season...and we’ve got some scarily good news at Maine Equal Justice...all donations are being MATCHED dollar-for-dollar through Oct. 31st. Supporters have already unlocked $11,000 in matching funds to support our work together, and there are still matching funds available! Pitch in here ➡️ https://loom.ly/ziga6Lk

Double your contribution for justice before Halloween! | Maine Equal Justice (Powered by Donorbox) Thank you for supporting Maine Equal Justice! All donations made through October 31st will be MATCHED dollar-for-dollar until we reach $25,000 thanks to pledges by our community of supporters! So far we've raised almost $12,000 towards this goal, ...

In case you missed it, Maine Morning Star has a good article about the Eviction Prevention Program, which is due to open for applications later this month. "Last legislative session, after a State House rally and a push from business owners calling for more affordable housing, lawmakers added $18 million to the supplemental budget to operate the state’s first rental assistance program. It is not yet clear how many people will be able to receive subsidies, but MaineHousing released income and rent thresholds for Maine’s 16 counties and separate thresholds for the Bangor, Lewiston, Kittery and Portland areas to qualify for the program." https://loom.ly/072J26M

Our Policy Advocate Alex Carter joined Senator Angus S. King, Jr. and others at the Bar Harbor Food Pantry yesterday where they discussed SNAP, seasonal workers, and the high cost of living across the state.

Thanks Alex for reminding our Congressional delegation how vital SNAP is for our state and that families can't afford any cuts or further constraints to their grocery budgets!

⭐⭐ EARLY VOTING has started in Maine! You can fill out an absentee ballot in person at your municipal office now through Oct. 31.

🇺🇸 Find your polling place: https://bit.ly/MEvote2024
🇺🇸 See what's on the ballot: https://loom.ly/Dl_cee8

If you get SNAP and also pay for heat or a/c in your home, you may be able to boost your SNAP benefits with the “full standard utility allowance” Here's how:

First, Check your most recent Case Summary from DHHS. If it shows your heating or cooling costs, you're already getting the allowance!

If it doesn’t you can either:
1. Report your heating or cooling costs to DHHS if you don't see it on your Case Summary so you can get the allowance.
or
2. Apply for LIHEAP from your local CAP agency. Anyone who gets approve for LIHEAP will automatically get the allowance. This may help you get the boost if you live in subsidized housing and don't have out-of-pocket heating or cooling costs!

Mainers are registering and voting in RECORD numbers! YOU can be part of a community who votes for economic security for all!

👉New voter? Or moved since the last election? Register easily online here today: https://loom.ly/C3rohyE
You have until October 15th but don't wait (it's quick!) 👈

You can register to vote in person up to or on Election Day! More info: League of Women Voters of Maine https://loom.ly/E383-dM

We're having a spooky good time painting pumpkins and connecting with neighbors about economic justice at Family Fun Day in Mill Park, Augusta! Thanks Head Start - Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation for putting on a fun event 🎃🎈

We're loving this article on Maine's clerks, who are working so hard this season to keep our elections smooth and secure! Read more: https://loom.ly/gKGZt74

📢 Basic guidelines for the Eviction Prevention Program (rent relief pilot passed by the Maine legislature this year) are available online. You can see if you may qualify, and sign up for updates. We'll share more information about applying when the program launches, which is expected in October. https://loom.ly/ORq4RiA

📢 Absentee voting allows you to cast a ballot without going to a polling location on Election Day or to vote early. Any registered voter in Maine may cast an absentee ballot. Absentee voting is anonymous and convenient!

You can request an absentee ballot, online, by phone, or in person! Learn more from League of Women Voters of Maine https://bit.ly/MEvote2024

📬 If you return your ballot by mail, make sure it has enough time to be received by your town clerk. There is a deadline to request your absentee ballot, which is the Thursday before Election Day.

2023 Census numbers are here, and they tell a story about Maine, the nation, and how we can make change. Read more on our blog: https://loom.ly/Z8nPjic

🇺🇸 🇺🇸 It's National Voter Registration Day!
✅️ Sign MEJ's Pledge to Vote and we'll get you all the info you need to safely and securely vote this fall! bit.ly/justicevoters24
✅️ Make sure you're registered to vote with Maine's new online voter reg site! bit.ly/MEvoterreg24

***A message from Stephanie Chase, a volunteer and leader with Maine Equal Justice for nearly a decade***
"I've seen great ideas - ideas that came from us - become law. I've also seen how much it matters who is working for us at every level of government. There's so much we can do together if we elect leaders who listen, share our values and are accountable to us. That's why today it's important that we all get registered and make a plan to vote, because together we can show elected officials that they need to listen and act on our concerns."

🗳🗳 It’s Disability Rights Voting Week, and you have rights as a voter!

Wonderful film and panel on guaranteed income from Project HOME Trust. Congratulations to the participants and everyone who has contributed to this successful trial!