Mainers all have a say in how electricity is generated and distributed to our homes and businesses. You can be involved in these decisions: here’s some resources to help you make your voice heard:

Engage with your Elected Representatives

You can have a real impact by communicating directly with the folks who represent you in government. Click the button below to quickly find their contact information:

Look Up My Elected Officials

Whether you choose to phone, email, write, or speak with them in person, what matters is that you engage and share your thoughts. When writing, it’s best to be brief and to the point.

  • Begin by introducing yourself: include your town as well; if your job or expertise is relevant, feel free to share that too
  • Say why you’re getting in touch: Asking them to vote a certain way on a bill? Expressing a concern? Thanking them for something they did?
  • Indicate why this issue is important to you and others: include a brief personal experience or detail if relevant
  • If you’re writing about specific legislation:
    • identify the bill number and title
    • ask them to either support or oppose the bill
    • see our tips on tracking bills in the legislature below
  • Thank them: express appreciation for their listening to you and for their public service.
Blaine House
The Blaine House in Augusta, the Maine Governor’s residence.

Write a Letter to the Editor

While the opinion page of traditional newspapers may not be the dominant public opinion space it once was, letters to the editor are still important and widely read. You can also link to your published letter in your social media channels, increasing its reach.

folded newspapers stacked
  • Connect to current events: if you reference a previous recent story in the paper or otherwise draw a connection to something currently “in the news,” editors are more likely to print your letter
  • Be brief: the word limit for most papers is 250 words
  • Don’t rant: pointing out a problem or criticizing something is OK but “venting” undermines your letter’s impact
  • Say what the stakes are: why should people care about this?
  • Include a takeaway: what do you want readers to take away from your letter? Contact their elected officials? Vote a certain way? Take some other action? Rethink an assumption?
  • Avoid personal attacks: resist the temptation to go after someone you disagree with–go after their ideas instead.

Always include your full name, town, phone number, and email address when submitting letters. The paper won’t necessarily print those but they need to be able to contact you before printing your letter.

If you’re on social media, write a post that links to the published letter and/or publish the letter in your post. You can also easily repurpose the letter as an email to an elected official to further bolster your impact.

Read an example letter to the editor.

Here’s a list of Maine newspapers with contact information.

Track bills in the Maine Legislature

You can read bills, monitor their status, and find dates for public hearings or other important events using the Maine Legislature’s bill tracking tool.

Track a Bill in the Maine Legislature
Maine State Capitol dome
The Maine State Capitol in Augusta, where the Legislature meets each year. Maine citizens are welcome to weigh in on legislation and express their opinion to their elected representatives.

Submit Written Comments and Testimony

Citizens are often invited to give their input on proposed legislation or various issues. You can respond with written comments or provided written and/or spoken testimony delivered in person or remotely by Zoom.

If you’d like to submit testimony to a committee considering a bill in the Maine Legislature, use this form.

  • Introduce yourself: Indicate your name and what town you live in
  • Express appreciation: Thank the committee or body for listening to you
  • Indicate where you stand: if commenting or testifying on a specific bill, clearly state whether you’re for or against the bill and explain why
  • Draw a Personal Connection: does this issue affect your life in some way? If so, make a personal connection to the issue
  • Substantiate your position: why are you for (or against) this bill (or have this concern, etc.)? Some data or facts can help but don’t over do it
  • Ask for Action: ask the committee to vote yes (or no) on the bill (or whatever response you hope to achieve with your comment/testimony
  • Keep it Brief: don’t exceed the length/time limits given (if none are given try to be brief anyway)
  • Practice delivering your spoken testimony: read it aloud several times; that’s the only way to get an accurate reading on required time
  • Log in early for remote: When using Zoom, log in at least 15 minutes beforehand and check your camera and microphone