AUGUSTA, Maine — It may seem like everyone has made up their minds on the 2020 election, but there is still a relatively small group of dedicated voters wrestling with their choices.
These undecided voters could make a difference. The race between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District is expected to be perhaps the closest battle for an Electoral College vote, according to Decision Desk HQ, A Bangor Daily News poll released last week found a one-point gap in the U.S. Senate race.
It is true that the pool of undecided voters is relatively small in Maine. The same poll found just 3 percent of Maine voters were unsure of who they would back in the presidential election and 7 percent undecided in the race between Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, and independents Lisa Savage and Max Linn.
To understand how voters are feeling, we spoke to four Mainers from much different backgrounds who told us they are still making up their minds in both federal and state races. We will follow up with them through the Nov. 3 election and report back on how they made their decisions.
We found them largely concerned with what their votes could mean for health care, the environment, political power structures and the future direction of the country. Two are wrestling with their party’s identity with two independents struggling to pick a side.
This project was produced with support from a grant from the American Press Institute.