By Sen. Brad Farrin

Election Day is the time when the people of Maine and those across our great nation make their voices heard. That voice is your vote; and your opportunity to make your voice heard happens on Tuesday, Nov. 5th.

Hello, this is Senator Brad Farrin. I am honored to represent 15 communities in Somerset, Penobscot and Kennebec counties. I thank you for joining me for this week’s Republican Radio Address.

Voting is a civic duty that is important to every election. It is the cornerstone of our democracy and one of several civic duties we share as Americans. Founded as a nation of laws that are guided by our fundamental rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, our other civic duties include respecting the laws of our society, serving on a jury when needed, paying taxes for the common good, and upholding the ideals of our U.S. and Maine constitutions.

For some, it means serving the people of our nation in our military. For others, it may mean public service through standing for an elected public office. And that is what Election Day is all about.

While voting is an important civic duty, it is also one of our most sacred and treasured rights enjoyed by Americans. It is a freedom sought by countless others across the world who don’t have the liberties we enjoy here. It is a right our veterans have fought to protect.

The right to vote and the act of doing so is also foundational to how our democracy functions. Some would argue that it is not only a civic duty but also a moral obligation to the very society in which we live. You could argue it’s our “cost of living” in our free American society.

Each Election Day is your chance to make your voice heard. The one coming up on Nov. 5th gives you the opportunity to weigh in about whom you want to represent the people of Maine in Congress and in Maine’s Legislature.

There are also five referendum questions on the ballot for you to consider. And, of course, we all have a say in the presidential race as well as many local races down to the county commissioners and town and school officials.

First, I encourage you to visit the Maine Secretary of State’s website to learn about the five statewide questions on this year’s ballot. More importantly, I encourage you to support your local candidates by voting. Doing so honors their efforts to serve their communities and it proves how our government – from the nation’s President down to your local leaders – is chosen by us and is also answerable to us.

I also encourage you to vote early through an absentee ballot if that is right for you. Some people feel more comfortable voting that way. Request an absentee ballot from your town clerk or through the Secretary of State’s website. Thousands have already done so.

If it’s within 30 days of the election, you can even go to your town office or city hall at your convenience and fill it out right there. You can do so beginning Oct. 7th until the Thursday before the election, which for this year is Oct. 31st. Yes, that’s Halloween.

Regardless of how you cast your vote, doing so is your right as an American and a civic duty for being an American. It’s a right that has been fought for and protected by millions of American service members since the birth of our nation. Yet it is a right that can only be exercised by you for you.

I ask that you make your voice heard on Nov. 5th. Do it for yourself. Do it in honor of someone close to you. Do it to honor our veterans who have fought for the freedom just to be able to do so. That is what America and Maine are all about.

Again, I am Senator Brad Farrin of Somerset County and a proud veteran. Thank you for listening and have a great weekend.

Sen. Brad Farrin represents the communities of District 3. He is the Senate Republican Lead for the Legislature’s Transportation Committee.