Mayflower Hill is prepared to verify- with cell phone records, cell phone text message records and independent sources- its scoop about the Maine Republican Party’s efforts to suppress thousands of student votes in the state.

Mayflower Hill learned from a high ranking member of the Maine College Republicans that the Maine State Republicans are preparing to file a lawsuit that would disqualify thousands of votes from college students whose primary residency is out of state.

The basis for the law suit is that out of state students, since they do not declare their primary residency to be in Maine, are ineligible Maine voters under state law.

While there are many out of state students within the Maine State University system- particularly at Orono and Farmington- this primarily effects the 6,000 or so students enrolled at Bowdoin, Bates and Colby- many of whom choose to vote in the Brunswick, Lewiston/Auburn, and Waterville precincts.

The way it was explained to me, the Maine GOP will try and assert that there are laws in certain states- like Minnesota- which prohibit those who make their primary residence in state to register to vote out of state. At the moment, the Maine GOP is trying to determine how to argue that Maine state law, which allows out of state registrants, does not supersede voting laws in other states.

The presidential race in Maine isn’t really all that close (Kerry won handily), but suppressing student votes in Waterville was designed to impact the congressional race in the 2nd District.

When the Democrats redrew the district maps last year, they gave Democrat Mike Michaud (who won his first term in 2002 by only 5%) the Waterville area. Many insiders suspect that happened because Dems were worried Michaud was losing the support of rural, socially conservative Mainers who live north of Bangor. Republican challenger Brian Hamel had been running a tight race against Michaud, and his key to victory was believed to be winning Waterville.

Some estimate that around 1000 Colby College students vote in Waterville- many from out of state.