Maine must mend one crack in semi-open primaries | Opinion

[](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/) _[Read all of our coverage](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/) of Maine's 2026 election or stay up to date with the latest developments through the [Maine Political Report](https://www.pressherald.com/mprnewsletter/) in your inbox or [text messages](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/11/maine-political-news-sent-right-to-your-phone-sign-up-for-text-alerts-from-our-editor/) from politics editor Kirby Wilson._ **Kiernan Majerus-Collins** _of Lewiston is an attorney and the Democratic nominee for the Maine House of Representatives seat in District 95._ The June 9 primary was, by almost every metric, a resounding triumph for Maine’s democracy. Across the state, we witnessed sky-high turnout, driven by engaged citizens eager to make their voices heard. But perhaps the most significant victory was the successful implementation of semi-open primaries. Tens of thousands of Mainers who do not belong to either major political party were finally able to participate in the Democratic or Republican primaries. By allowing unenrolled voters to have a say, we helped ensure that these nominating contests are more reflective of the will of all the people. This is a massive step forward. Despite this progress, a frustrating and entirely preventable issue surfaced at polling places. While unenrolled voters were welcomed, some enrolled Maine voters were turned away from participating; they were registered members of the Green Independent or Libertarian parties. Many, if not most, of these voters did not realize their party registrations made them ineligible to participate in the day’s contests. Confusion reigned at the check-in tables, and complaints quickly proliferated on social media as dedicated voters were sent home without casting a ballot. My campaign recognized this looming problem during the early vote period. We worked diligently on the ground in Lewiston’s District 95 to help voters check and fix their registrations ahead of the deadline so they could participate in the primary of their choice. Yet, despite our best outreach efforts, we still saw would-be primary voters turned away on Election Day. It is always disheartening to witness an eager voter sidelined by a bureaucratic technicality. Advertisement In my experience speaking with constituents, many voters registered as members of a third party do not know it. These voters believe themselves to already be Democrats or Republicans and understandably feel they should be able to participate in their party’s primary. Others believe themselves to be entirely unenrolled. This is especially prevalent among registered Green Independents, many of whom erroneously believe they are simply registering as “independent” voters. Clearly, these voters are trying to participate in good faith. They should be able to cast a ballot rather than be shut out by innocent paperwork mistakes. Fortunately, this is a fixable problem. The Maine Legislature should adopt a simple, common-sense adjustment: when partisan primaries are held, voters whose chosen parties are not holding a primary due to a lack of candidates should be treated as though they are unenrolled voters. They should be allowed to participate in a primary of their choice. This year, under such a rule, Libertarians anywhere in Maine and Green Independents anywhere other than House District 87 (where John Baldwin was the Green Independent nominee) would have been able to request either a Democratic or Republican ballot. Skeptics might argue that strict party rules exist for a reason. Traditionally, the reason we restrict party members from participating in other parties’ primaries is to avoid bad-faith participation as a means of sabotaging a rival party. But this rationale fails in a circumstance where a voter’s own party isn’t fielding any candidates. If your party isn’t on the ballot, you simply don’t have a partisan interest in the general election to motivate a bad-faith primary vote. Even those voters who knowingly and intentionally register as members of a third party should be able to participate as de facto unenrolled voters if their party fails to field any candidates. Maine has always been a state that values high voter participation and independent thinking. We have made incredible strides by opening our primaries to unenrolled voters, proving that we want a more inclusive democracy. Now, we just need to take the next step to protect those who fall through the cracks of our party registration system. Let’s eliminate this unnecessary hurdle and ensure every Maine voter can participate in primary elections. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [columns](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/columns/), [election 2026](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/election-2026/)