Reconnecting with family and friends around the table sharing a good meal and expressing our gratitude for the gifts we’ve been given — all of that is at the heart of Thanksgiving. It’s also one of the riskiest things we can do right now for our health and the health and lives of our loved ones.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills.

I have three brothers, a sister, five daughters, and five grandchildren, including two little girls that I love to hug and hang out with — I would love to get together with them over the holidays, but I don’t want COVID-19 to be the uninvited guest in our home.

For the upcoming holiday, some of my family will be hunting; some will be hiking; most will be outdoors in some way, and some will be taking part in a small, safely distanced get-together, with face coverings and inviting others to join virtually. It won’t be the same as everyone getting together in-person, but it will allow us to see each other, talk to each other, while making sure we are all safe – and that is what is most important now.

We’re all in the same boat here. So as you make plans for Thanksgiving, please consider whether an in-person gathering is absolutely necessary — although it’d be nice, but is it necessary? — and, if you think it is, how can you make it safer. Please remember that while a negative test is another tool to help you stay safe, it is just a snapshot in time. It’s not a free pass to skip the simple actions that we know limit the spread of the virus.

If you plan to host or attend any in-person gathering over the holiday season, anywhere, outdoors or indoors, consider taking the following steps recommended by the U.S. CDC to reduce COVID-19 transmission:

1. Limit the total number of people you invite to allow people from different households to stay six feet apart.
2. Host outdoor, rather than indoor gatherings. I know we are entering the colder months, but crowded, poorly ventilated spaces pose a big risk of COVID-19 spread.
3. If you do host an indoor event of any kind, open the windows and doors to allow for greater air circulation.
4. Have everyone wear face coverings when they are not actually eating or drinking. It’s important to remember that even with face coverings, people from different households should stay six feet apart from each other.
5. Make sure your bathroom is stocked with enough soap and single use towels, or provide hand sanitizer as well if soap and water aren’t readily available, so guests can clean their hands often.
6. Try to limit contact with commonly touched surfaces and items, like serving utensils. Have one person who is wearing a mask serve food to everyone. That’s safer than everyone using the same spoon out of a bowl of mashed potatoes.
7. Wash dishes right after dinner, as well as tablecloths or cloth napkins you may have used. Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and use gloves and wash your hands when handling or disposing of trash as well.

All of these tips are found at the national CDC.Gov website.

We got news recently that two vaccine candidates are showing promise, but the fact is returning to normal life sometime next year, which we hope for, first requires us to survive the holidays this year.

To the Maine people who are listening, it’s not fair that so much has been placed on your shoulders these last few months. I want you to know that I am thankful for the ways you have adapted to keep us all safe.

Please hang in there, hope is on the horizon.

Meanwhile, wear a mask, watch your distance, and wash your hands.

Keep the faith. We will get through this and we will have so much more to be thankful for next Thanksgiving.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

Voting is at the foundation of our democracy and voting may determine the future of our communities, our state and our nation.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills.

Your vote is your voice. Make sure your voice is heard November 3rd.

I usually vote in person on Election Day cause I like to see people at the polls, but this year, I voted absentee in person in the town clerk’s office cause I wanted to minimize the number of people I came into contact with and minimize the number of people at the polls on November 3rd. Voting absentee, either in-person or by mail, during this pandemic minimizes your exposure to COVID-19 and protects the health of poll workers, other voters and the community at large.

We did a pretty good job in the primary in July minimizing the people at the polls and encouraging absentee voting, but the General Election attracts far more voters, and we are stepping up efforts to protect poll workers and preserving the right of everyone to vote.

Right now you can stop by your town office during business hours, pick up a ballot and complete it right there and hand it back to the clerk. You don’t need an excuse. Some clerks offices are open extra hours – evenings, weekends, even the Saturday before the election -- to accept ballots and avoid overcrowded polls on Election Day.

You can also request an absentee ballot by mail on the Secretary of State’s website at Maine.gov/sos. And you can either mail that ballot back or deliver it in person to the clerk’s office or to a drop box.

But don’t wait. Either way, your ballot has to be in the clerk’s hands by 8 pm November 3rd.

Now, if you have requested an absentee ballot, you have committed to vote that ballot. The clerk won’t give you a second ballot unless you have somehow spoiled the ballot and you return it, or the ballot you requested does not arrive.

You can also track when your ballot is sent out and when your clerk receives your completed ballot by visiting Maine.gov/sos and clicking on the “Request/Track your absentee ballot” image.

Get your ballot back to your municipal clerk as soon as possible, and no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2020, in the signed, sealed envelope. Very important.

Remember, to SIGN the envelope before returning because that’s how the clerk knows it’s the same ballot they sent you to send back.

If you are returning your ballot in person, you can drop it off at your town office during regular business hours.

We also worked to provide secure drop boxes to many many towns to facilitate safe voting. If your municipality has a ballot dropbox, you’ll find it at the city or town hall. Drop off your completed ballot - sealed in your signed envelope - at any hour, and of course ONLY in your own town or city’s ballot dropbox. You have to sign the envelope so the clerk knows it was you who requested the ballot; but neither the clerk nor anyone else will see who you voted for.

If you are returning your ballot by mail, use first-class stamps and put it in the mail at least a week before Election Day to make sure it gets there on time.

If you are going out of state, get your ballot back before you leave; if you mail it from somewhere across the country you take a chance it won’t be counted.

Polling places will be open on Election Day, but plan for extra wait time if you go that day because of new health and safety procedures at the polls, you know social distancing and sanitization measures.

Please wear a face covering when you go to the polls to vote and avoid face coverings or other clothing or accessories that have a political message or the name of a candidate on them.

To learn more about elections, visit the Secretary of State’s website at Maine.gov/sos.

You know, there’s been some talk also about potential harassment or intimidation of voters in other states we’ve listened to. We don’t expect a problem with that here and we do have plenty of tools to address it if it does occur.

Just remember, you have a constitutional right to vote. No one can prevent you. It’s your civic right and your civic responsibility.

This is Governor Janet Mills, thank you for listening, don’t forget to vote, and please stay safe.