From District 4 Senator Stacey Guerin’s eNewsletter.
Maine’s Department of the Secretary of State recently released information regarding the upcoming election on Nov. 3, 2026. The announcement provided details on voter registration and absentee balloting procedures.
Uniformed and overseas voters began receiving ballots on Sept. 19 in accordance with federal law that requires these ballots be sent at least 45 days prior to Election Day. Qualifying voters include spouses and dependents away from their Maine voting residence by reason of active duty or service of the member, and U.S. citizens currently living outside the U.S. and whose residence before leaving the U.S. was located within Maine.
Anyone who recently deployed or may otherwise qualify to receive an early ballot and didn’t request to receive one can do so here.
Maine allows same-day voter registration, meaning Mainers may register to vote and cast their ballot on Election Day. However, anyone who wishes to use the state’s online voter registration service must do so before Oct. 13. Automatic voter registration during Bureau of Motor Vehicle transactions is available through Oct. 27. After those deadlines, registrations must be made in person at the voter’s municipality.
The Department said in-person absentee voting begins in towns and cities around the state on Oct. 4. Absentee ballots to be filled out at home and sent back may also be requested by contacting local town or city clerks or via the state’s online portal. Absentee voting ends the Thursday before Election Day, which for this year is Oct. 29. For more information about this year’s elections, visit the Department of the Secretary of State’s upcoming elections page.
Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.
Week 3: Building Communities of Care Through Connection
Treatment works. People who receive timely, compassionate care for suicidal thoughts or behaviors can and do heal.
A safety plan gives people something to hold onto in their hardest moments: warning signs to watch for, coping strategies, people to call, and 988.
Suicide prevention should be part of everyday health care, not only a crisis response. Screening, planning, and follow-ups belong in routine care.
The days after someone leaves a hospital or emergency room are among the most difficult. Follow-up care and a call within 72 hours can change everything. Suicide prevention is possible.
Getting care early, before a crisis escalates, is one of the most powerful things health care can do for someone who is struggling.
Connection, planning, and follow-up care make a real difference. When these pieces work together, they save lives.
Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.
Fake party invitations are a newer tactic perpetrators use to capture personal details. They send digital invitations, commonly through email, inviting you to a fake gathering. Typically, the email comes from someone you know whose account has been hacked.
The message asks you to click a link to RSVP, confirm your guest information, or buy tickets. Clicking the link can download harmful software onto your device or send you to a fake website designed to steal your financial and personal information.
If you receive an unexpected invitation, contact the host directly to confirm they sent it.
The webmaster@mainestategrange.org issue is resolved! It may be used again! Sorry for the inconvenience.
In an unrelated matter, fraudulent emails continue to arrive that appear to be from Master Sherry. They are not and you should not respond to them in any way. Below is an example of how to identify them. We can’t control this; we must rely on you to pay attention.
Below is the original email announcing the problem with the MSG webmaster email
In the latest version of “It’s not over until it’s over,” email to webmaster@mainestategrange.org has not been delivered or received since yesterday (9/13). We have a small but complex glitch resulting from the recent transition to a new server. We’re working on a fix, but it may take a day or two.
In the interim, use Walter’s personal email. If you sent something recently, please forward it to this address and use it to submit columns, news, and events.
This is an intense election year. That’s one thing we can be sure of! The political phone calls and texts seem endless.
As the day approaches, it seems appropriate to offer some resources to help us manage through these difficult times. The resources listed below come from the JED Foundation, which has existed for 25 years and has a well-documented track record. I originally developed an interest in JED because it specializes in protecting the emotional health and preventing suicide of teens and young adults. They offer excellent programs and materials in partnership with schools, colleges, and parents. In short, I am comfortable and confident in recommending these resources.
Using mental health resources is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, accessing tools and information indicates strength and builds it. One of the things to like about the JED Website is that it is engaging and extremely easy to navigate. Most of these resources are equally applicable and valuable to older folk!
In the latest version of “It’s not over until it’s over,” email to webmaster@mainestategrange.org has not been delivered or received since yesterday (9/13). We have a small but complex glitch resulting from the recent transition to a new server. We’re working on a fix, but it may take a day or two.
In the interim, use Walter’s personal email. If you sent something recently, please forward it to this address and use it to submit columns, news, and events.
This one’s almost believable–if there’s an infirmity Veteran’s Hospice Care Unit. I doubt there is. Just delete the email. Do not reply. It’s a phishing email trolling for gullible victims. We have no control over this type of email other than your alert mind!
I left the topic the same as last month because it seems appropriate to share a few things from my Annual Report of how the Communications Department is doing just that.
This is the fifteenth year the website has been in place. Site views have increased significantly. This Grange year, the site has been viewed at least 22,000 times—an average of 1800 times per month and a 25% increase over the previous year.
Several significant accomplishments this year include:
A significant purging of the site in conjunction with arranging the migration of the site to a new host provider. After fourteen years with our provider, we began suffering severe outages and increased costs. The preparation and execution took many hours, but the change has been beneficial.
Added a number of “Resources for Grangers,” including logos for the most common Grange events and programs, a special Communications Column on the subject of non-profits, and further development of “Rapid Resources” on a variety of topics.
Continued to streamline the site by purging dated material. This makes the site much more manageable, reduces confusion, and saves server space.
Completed interviews with media representatives and researchers.
As time permits, I continue to work with local Granges who want assistance with communication and “semi-technical” support.
Created a distinct form and method for submitting events and programs being sponsored or hosted by local community Granges. The resulting posts are easily accessible and can be shared on social media with little effort. These events are also added to the MSG Events Page which is among the most visited pages on the site.
Started work on a revised Communications Handbook for 2026-27 that will integrate the current website handbook. Technology is changing rapidly, and we cannot ignore many of those changes.
Continued to facilitate an outbound email service that allows information to be sent directly to officers, directors, and deputies on short notice. This service also enables website subscriptions. Website subscribers grow slowly, and I consistently send subscribers a weekly summary of posts.
Looking ahead to 2026-2027, some objectives include:
Continuing to keep communication positive, helpful, and engaging.
Add a simple privacy policy explaining how the site handles information.
Complete and expand the resource pages for Book Exchange Programs and Words for Thirds.
Promote the posting of Subordinate Grange events and news to the site.
Continue searching for resources, including additional guest columnists and regular topical information that can be reposted with attribution.
Update the online directories of Granges and Officers as the roster information becomes available.
On a personal level, I’ve become more focused on my writing efforts. I’m writing for a monthly local magazine, The Guilford Register. (One column was about the Granges in Maine!) I recently published “Memorials, Monuments, and Memories,” a book that takes readers from Flanders Fields to Main Street America. “Cows, Corn, and Calm” will document what happens when a Maine writer with a lifelong love of bovines loads up his pickup truck, points it toward Amish Country, and signs up to learn how to drive a team of oxen. Also on the list is a sequel to Exploring Traditions that includes Reflections on the Grange Way of Life. If “idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” I’m on good ground.
My complete report is available on the website and will be included in the delegate’s packet at State Session. Please let me know if I can do anything to help you and your Grange.
Valley Grange is located at 172 Guilford Center Road in Guilford, Maine.
GUILFORD, Maine —Valley Grange members and friends will soon return to school to celebrate Dictionary Days at five local elementary schools.
Grange teams will visit Brownville, Harmony, Piscataquis Community, SeDoMoCha, and Ridgeview elementary schools, giving every third-grade student a personal dictionary. Presentations emphasize the fun of learning and discovery, along with a lesson in how to “look it up.”
Program Director Walter Boomsma recently contacted each school to request third-grade enrollment counts. Since the program began, the Guilford-based Grange has distributed more than 4,000 dictionaries.
“We’re certainly proud of the numbers, but even more proud of the potential impact those dictionaries may have had on each individual child who received one,” Boomsma said.
The program began more than 20 years ago at one school. “We’re now reaching another generation,” Boomsma said. “Parents and school staff occasionally tell us they remember their Dictionary Day. Thanks to the support we receive, we are creating a legacy within and for our communities. This truly is an annual project where everybody wins.”
Once enrollment counts are received, dictionaries will be ordered from The Dictionary Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The order often totals as many as 10 cases.
“That’s when the real fun begins,” said Valley Grange Secretary Mary Annis. “We label each dictionary and schedule school visits. The visits are fun and exciting—sometimes a bit noisy, but always worth it.”
To learn more about the program, support its mission, or become involved, visit the Valley Grange website at valleygrange.com or contact a Valley Grange member.
Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.
Week 2: Connecting People to Crisis Support and Resources
988 is there for anyone who is struggling, not only for people in a full crisis. Feeling overwhelmed or in emotional pain is reason enough to reach out.
A real person answers every call, text, and chat to 988. The support is free, confidential, and available any time of day or night.
988 is available in Spanish, for Veterans, for deaf and hard of hearing callers via ASL Videophone and chat, and in more than 150 languages. Help is there for everyone.
Knowing about 988 before you need it, and sharing it with the people in your life, is one of the most important things any of us can do.
Crisis care goes beyond 988. Mobile crisis teams, stabilization centers, and community behavioral health clinics are part of a network that helps people through their hardest moments.
Reaching out early, to a trusted person, a provider, or 988, before things reach a breaking point leads to better outcomes and more paths forward.
