BERWICK, Maine — The Maine Accessibility Project (MAP) has completed its first municipal accessibility review, evaluating the Town of Berwick’s response to a standardized public election information request.
MAP is a statewide initiative by The Maine Mirror that measures how accessible municipalities are when residents seek basic public election information. Every municipality receives the same request, is evaluated using the same published methodology, and is scored using the same 100-point rubric.
Overall MAP Score
90 / 100
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Response Received | 20 / 20 |
| Timeliness | 20 / 20 |
| Information Provided | 20 / 30 |
| Official Resources | 20 / 20 |
| Professionalism | 10 / 10 |
| Total | 90 / 100 |
Response Time
Email Sent: July 15, 2026 (after normal business hours)
Response Window Began: July 16, 2026 – 8:00 AM
Response Received: July 16, 2026 – 8:07 AM
Official Response Time: 7 minutes
MAP measures response times beginning at the start of the next business day when requests are sent outside normal municipal business hours.
What Berwick Did Well
Berwick responded promptly at the beginning of the business day with a courteous and professional email.
The Town Clerk informed The Maine Mirror that Berwick does not have a municipal ballot this November and directed readers to the town’s official elections webpage for additional election information.
Providing an official government resource allows residents to independently verify information and access additional election materials directly from the municipality.
Opportunity for Improvement
While Berwick provided an official elections webpage, the response did not directly answer all of the questions included in the standardized request.
Providing the requested legislative districts and candidate information directly within the email would have offered a more complete response and reduced the need for residents to conduct additional research themselves.
Because MAP evaluates every municipality using the same published methodology, points are awarded based on the completeness of the information provided in the initial response.
Overall Assessment
Berwick demonstrated excellent accessibility through its exceptionally fast response time, professional communication, and by directing residents to official election resources.
While there remains an opportunity to provide more comprehensive information directly within future responses, the town’s commitment to timely communication resulted in a strong overall score.
MAP Methodology
The Maine Accessibility Project (MAP) evaluates municipalities using one standardized request and one published scoring rubric.
Every municipality is scored in five categories:
- Response Received (20 points)
- Timeliness (20 points)
- Information Provided (30 points)
- Official Resources (20 points)
- Professionalism (10 points)
Municipalities may request factual corrections or provide updated information at any time. If new information materially affects a published review, The Maine Mirror will update the article accordingly in the interest of accuracy and transparency.
About the Maine Accessibility Project (MAP)
The Maine Accessibility Project (MAP) is a statewide initiative by The Maine Mirror that evaluates how accessible municipalities are when responding to standardized public election information requests. Every municipality receives the same questions, is evaluated using the same published methodology, and is measured against the same scoring rubric.
The goal of MAP is not to criticize local government, but to recognize excellent public service, encourage continual improvement, and help strengthen trust between citizens and the public institutions that serve them. By documenting response times, accessibility, completeness, and professionalism through one consistent framework, MAP seeks to make public information easier to access for every Mainer.
To learn more about the project, explore the methodology, and view every published municipal review, visit the Maine Accessibility Project (MAP):
https://themainemirror.com/maine-access-project/
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