Maine Civic Digest October 2025

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Monday, October 13, 2025
LWVME + MSV
 
Volume 4:9
October 2025

Dear Educator,

It’s election season! The upcoming weeks offer a great opportunity to discuss important referendums and local elections in your community. In a democracy, remind your students elections are not just rituals—they are the primary mechanism through which citizens choose leaders, shape public policy and affirm the principles of governance by consent. 

Election season is also an opportunity to encourage students to participate in constructive and civil dialogue over opposing views. Check out our past issue on Civil Discourse for tips and materials to help set ground rules for discussions.  

And, as always, remember to check out our monthly updated list of Youth Civic Leadership Opportunities here and detailed below. Share these with your students to inspire them to get involved!

‘Civics on the Road’ Traveling Educational Initiative
 

Maine DOE and Secretary of State have launched a new initiative in partnership with Maine Semiquincentennial Commission. Designed to engage students in hands-on civic learning, it will bring an immersive mobile learning experience to one school per month throughout the 2025-2026 school year. Schools, community partners and local leaders will join in this statewide effort to mark 250 years since the founding of the United States. Sign up now!

This “off year election” is an ideal time to focus on local elections in which even a few votes can make a difference and on important citizen initiatives on the statewide ballot. Use this list of common questions to guide your classroom discussion.

  • Where can I get general information about registering and voting in Maine? Share the Make Your Vote Count brochure in 10 languages. See Maine.gov for the state’s voter information page.
  • Can I register online? Yes, but only until October 15. If you have a Maine state-issued ID, use this link.
  • What if I miss the deadline of October 15 to register online? Check out Maine’s information on how to register right up to and on election day.
  • How do I vote absentee? Post this flyer with all the details.
  • What is a referendum? Share this short video (1:30 min).
  • What are the two referendums on the Maine ballot? Read this non-partisan explanation of the two citizen initiatives. 
  • Will there be rank-choice voting? In this election, ranked-choice voting (RCV) will not apply statewide, but will apply to some local municipal elections.
    • What is RCV? Share this video (only 44 sec!) of a young Mainer clearly explaining the system in her own words.
Use this link to download the poster. (Courtesy of AART)
Our focus this month is on the barriers students may face in getting out to vote. In 2024, lack of information, educational inequities and financial struggles impacted youth participation (Source). Show students the graphic below and have a classroom discussion on ways they might overcome - or help others overcome - similar barriers to getting out to vote this November (Source).
 

Start a conversation in your classroom!

  • How might election results be effected if certain segments of a population face greater barriers to voting?
  • Do any of these barriers impact you, your family or members of your community? 
  • How can someone plan ahead to avoid these challenges on election day?
  • Where can you find information on where and how to vote in Maine (see the "Quick Guide" above)? 

This month we are featuring election-related resources to help you give your students a clearer picture of how the system works, their rights and responsibilities and the power of civic participation. 

Maine Student Mock Referendum Election  
This year this event will take place October 28. Last year, 115 Maine schools participated, encouraging young people to vote and to become involved in candidate campaigns and state and national issues. Many schools use this as an opportunity to bring civics and current events into the classroom. Visit the Secretary of State website and sign up here.

Lesson Plans

Check out these just-in-time election lesson plans from trusted sources that are ready to go with minimal prep on your part. Some also address the effects of AI and social media on elections, a timely and important topic for our kids.

Use this link to download the poster. (Courtesy of AART)
Share this PDF summarizing the opportunities listed below and help expand civic experiences for all students. 
Fall into Action Workshop Series invites students, teachers and community members to participate on Tuesdays, 5-6 pm on Zoom. Each week in October, Maine Students Vote will host workshops with other community organizations to encourage civic skillbuilding. Are you a young person interested in making change in your community and building your organizing or advocacy skills? Curious about how to engage more young people in your community in voting? Join us!

John Lewis Youth Leadership Award is named for the late Congressman John Lewis and his courageous achievements during the Civil Rights Movement and his long tenure of public service. The National Association of Secretaries of State established this award to recognize a gifted, civic-minded young person in their state each year. To nominate yourself or someone else, complete this form no later than October 31. 

Voice of Democracy provides students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. High school students are eligible for a $35,000 college scholarship and middle school students $5,000. Students must submit an audio essay with an entry form by midnight, October 31 to their local VFW Post on the theme - How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?

Stephen Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship recognizes student leaders (K-12+) creating innovative solutions to end hunger in their communities. Winners get a $10,000 scholarship for education and a $5,000 grant to give to the hunger-related charity of their choice. See this poster for more information. Deadline is November 5.

Bill of Rights Institute Student Fellowship is a six-month educational program that helps high school students develop as leaders and learn skills to build civil society. The 2025-2026 Application period will be October 15 to November 30. Create a student account to be notified when the application opens!

The Nature Conservancy and the Aspen Institute’s This is Planet Ed worked directly with youth leaders to co-produce a Youth Climate Action Toolkit. This Toolkit provides students with the strategies and resources to advance local climate action, including opportunities to fund climate solutions in schools.

Hardy Girls Feminist Action Board meets one Sunday per month throughout the school year (in person or Zoom) to plan and host the annual spring conferences in Portland, Waterville, and hopefully this year in Bangor! FABbers are ready to lead and excited to guide younger students in their own learning and activism. Applications open through October.

LWVME Youth Council is a self-governing group of students ages 14-20 who are passionate about the importance of voting and civic involvement. They work on building leadership skills, encouraging their peers to register and vote, and other issues of interest to them. Paid internships are offered 3 times a year. To learn more and sign up, check out the website. 
Youth Work Makes the Boothwork is recruiting Maine students from a wide variety of school settings and backgrounds to join their Steering Committee and help inform this important work. Fill out this form to apply.
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