Dear Editor:

We are writing to invite residents of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, Southport, and Westport Island to join us at the Democratic caucuses for those towns on Sunday, March 4, at Boothbay Region High School.*

The doors will open at 1:30 p.m. and the caucuses will start promptly at 2. You’ll have the chance to meet local candidates, hear about Democratic issues and values, vote for delegates to the state convention, and share your thoughts about the upcoming election season. Let’s rally together to make clear why we are Democrats and the values we stand for.

A feature of this year’s caucus will be a virtual state rally. Bring a sign to the caucus stating what a Democratic victory means to you, and we’ll share our signs through social media with all the other caucuses in the state, through #VictoryStartsHere. Key messages suggested are: Victory starts with … Affordable Healthcare, A Healthy Environment, A Thriving Economy, Good Education, Renewable Energy, High-Paying Jobs, and Human Rights. But feel free to come up with your own message.

In addition to talking about what a Democratic victory would mean, we’ll be holding a Caucus & Cookies for Change Cook-Off to raise money for the local food pantry. Bring a batch of cookies baked from your best recipe to add to your town’s table. If you’re not a baker, come prepared to be a judge. Which town will boast the best cookies? We’ll use instant run-off voting to decide the winner!

If you’re a registered Democrat, you can check into the caucus between 1:30 and 2. Even better, pre-register online at https://my.mainedems.org/caucus/towns/ME-LINC to speed up the check-in process. If you’re an unenrolled or unregistered voter, please come at 1:30 to register as a Democrat before the caucus begins.

We hope we’ll see you there to help build momentum and lay the groundwork for a Democratic victory in 2018!

Your caucus convenors:

Stephen Gottlieb, Boothbay

Barb Burt, Boothbay Harbor

Jarryl Larson, Edgecomb

Vernon Rail, Southport

Jeff Tarbox, Westport Island

*Please note: This event is not sponsored by the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Region Community School District, nor does it necessarily represent the values and opinions of the Board of Trustees, or the community at large.