Take my vote please – I am unworthy. Hillary calls me deplorable, Obama mocks me for clinging to my bible and guns, Bill Maher describes me as uneducated, unsophisticated and poor, and they all blame me for electing President Donald Trump. Now they want to vote in my place.

They are the self-described affluent and well-educated city dwellers who appreciate the “finer” things in life and have cool jobs — jobs that do not include farming, wood cutting, shoveling cow by-product, picking potatoes, landscaping and house painting — jobs that I am proud to say I have done, and I am a better person for it.

We have now in Augusta L.D. 861 to join the National Popular Vote, which is designed to take our voting rights away. Some of our legislators believe Mainers are not smart enough to vote for the right candidate. In that case our votes will be declared incompetent and thrown away, and a new, corrected, ballot will be cast for us. Think of it as ranked-choice voting with a dumpster for your ballot.

Pay attention folks — if our Legislators decide our votes don’t count, then we need new legislators. To date all Republicans are giving Mainers their vote of confidence by rejecting this power grab by supporting our right to have our votes counted and our right be heard. “Dirigo,” our state motto, says it all: Maine directs, it does not follow.

Joe Grant

Wiscasset