Equal representation is one of the basic tenets of our Constitution. Every 10 years, based on the latest census data, states divide their population into electoral districts of roughly the same size to ensure that the votes of each community carry roughly the same weight.
Harpswell has its own natural geographical districts: Harpswell Neck, Cundy’s Harbor and the islands. Each of them forms a community with slightly different conditions, perspectives and interests. We are fortunate having three current members of the Select Board who live in and represent the residents of each of these three communities.
A few years ago, a group of citizens urged the Select Board to consider the possibility of expanding to five members, rather than the current three, to provide more equal representation based on changes in the distribution of the town’s population. This generated little interest at that time, but perhaps, in line with the recent review of electoral district boundaries at the state level, it is worth pursuing now.
The March 2024 Town Meeting will decide whether Harpswell will continue to have geographically distributed representation.
Whatever your choice, please get out and vote.
Helen A. Norton, Harpswell Neck
Dorothy J. Rosenberg, Harpswell Neck
