Note From Washington County, Maine by Helen Longest Saccone

Today is a sad day for me. I have read that the Maine State Republican Party announced that my straw poll preference vote in the Washington County Super Caucus which was rescheduled by them for next week is not going to be counted. While this is only a straw poll preference vote and is not an actual assignment of delegates to the Republican National Convention, I would still like to have my straw poll preference votes counted. Here is what has happened since Friday afternoon. The Super Caucus here in Washington County, Maine, scheduled for yesterday was rescheduled until next Saturday, the 18th by the Republican party on Friday due to the possibility of a snow storm. This is Maine where it snows and where life goes on in and around the snow. We have great snow plow crews who keep our roads clear and passable. Washington County is an area which is a Ron Paul stronghold. Let me add that there was a Girl Scout event in Washington County yesterday that went on as scheduled. And, Marty and I drove 20 miles in the snow to the caucus site at the time of the scheduled caucus—the roads were totally passable. Other Ron Paul supporters drove to the caucus site, some from as far away as 60 miles. And, the County Chairman of the Republican Party drove to the site, too. So, it is clear that our caucus could have gone on as scheduled. There are 47 towns, 2 Indian reservations, and numerous unorganized townships involved in the Washington County caucus. Even though the Republican Party canceled our caucus and even though approximately 25 other towns had previously scheduled their caucuses between February 11 and the March 4 deadline which was set by the State of Maine Republican Party as the final date for the towns to caucus, the Republican Party still chose to announce to the media the winner of the straw poll preference votes of the caucuses on February 11. At the time of the announcement 84% of the State of Maine had not yet voted in their caucuses. Ron Paul lost by only 194 votes. And, Webster, the chairman of the Republican Party, announced that the straw poll preference votes from our Washington County caucus, which is rescheduled for Jan 18, as well as the votes from the other 25 caucuses that are scheduled between now and the Maine State Republican Party deadline of March 4 for caucusing will not be counted in the State of Maine total for the straw poll preference of this state. Here in Washington County we have approximately 5,600 registered Republican voters. This is a violation of every person's right to have our votes counted, even though they are simply straw poll preference votes. We are working hard in this corner of the world to make sure that our votes are counted and are factored into this straw vote preference poll. Please keep us in your thoughts.