Voter Guide to Question 1

There’s a lot of talk about Question 1, and it can be confusing to know what a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote really means. AARP Maine wants to help clear things up by sharing this easy-to-understand guide made by Maine’s Attorney General. It doesn’t take sides—it just explains the facts.

First, what is the actual question as it will appear on the ballot?

Question 1: Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?

The following information was prepared by the Office of the Attorney General and is being provided for informational purposes. It can be found here on page 16 inside the broader citizens guide created by the Secretary of State and Attorney General offices.

Question 1: Citizen Initiative

This citizen-initiated bill is intended to require voters to show one of several permitted forms of government-issued photographic identification when voting in person and to change absentee voting procedures to impose new requirements and restrictions.

The proposed law, if approved, would make the following substantive changes to Maine’s voting laws:

In-person identification requirement. The proposed law would require a voter checking in at the voting place on election day to present one of several types of photo identification. Specifically, a voter would need to show a Maine driver’s license, nondriver identification card, or interim identification card, a U.S. passport or passport card, or one of three types of military identification. A voter unable to show proper identification would be allowed to cast a ballot, but the ballot would not be counted unless the voter presents the required identification documents to their municipal registrar within four days of the election or submits an affidavit of religious objection.

No-cost identification cards. The proposed law would require the Secretary of State to issue no-cost nondriver identification cards to eligible voters who lack driver’s licenses.

New ballot challenge provisions:
The proposed law would allow voters in the same municipality to challenge a voter’s in-person or absentee ballot for alleged failure to comply with identification requirements or for an alleged non-matching signature on their absentee ballot envelope.

Drop box restrictions.
The proposed law would change requirements for absentee drop boxes in several ways:

• It would require drop boxes to be located outside the office of the municipal registrar and on the same property. Current law allows drop boxes to be located outside the municipal office building or the building where in person absentee voting takes place.

• It would limit municipalities to a single drop box, eliminating the ability of municipalities to request permission from the Secretary of State to install additional drop boxes.

• It would require drop boxes to be maintained and serviced by bipartisan teams of election officials. Current law allows drop boxes to be maintained by the municipal clerk or a team of two of the clerk’s designees.

Revised absentee ballot application. The proposed law would require voters completing a request for an absentee ballot to provide additional information on the application, including their Maine driver’s license or nondriver identification card number or a photocopy of another form of permissible identification. The new requirements would apply to both paper and online requests. The municipal clerk would have to notify the applicant if their application is missing required information or is not on an appropriate form and cannot process the application unless any such defects are corrected.

Restrictions on family members. The proposed law would repeal the law allowing for a voter’s immediate family member to request an absentee ballot on behalf of the voter. The proposed law would also repeal the law allowing an immediate family member to return a voter’s absentee ballot by mail. An immediate family member could still personally deliver a voter’s absentee ballot to the clerk.

New deadlines for requesting absentee ballots. The proposed law would require an application for an absentee ballot to be delivered to the municipal registrar no later than the close of business on the seventh day before the election. The proposed law would also require an application to be submitted no earlier than the first of the year in which the applicable election occurs or 90 days before the election, whichever is earlier. Existing law has no deadlines for submitting absentee ballot applications but bars issuance of absentee ballots after the third business day before election day unless the voter has certain special circumstances.

Telephone requests prohibited. The proposed law would repeal the law allowing voters to request absentee ballots by telephone.

Ongoing absentee voter program ended. Current law allows voters who are seniors or people with disabilities to request ongoing absentee voter status. Voters with this status are automatically mailed absentee ballots without having to file a separate application for each election. The program is scheduled to expand on December 31, 2025, to all voters who ask to participate. The proposed law would end the program.

New absentee ballot identification envelope. The proposed law would require voters returning absentee ballots to seal them in an “identification envelope” that would be issued along with the ballot and the return envelope. The voter would have to complete a form printed on the outside of the identification envelope under penalty of unsworn falsification. Information required by the form would include the voter’s driver’s license or nondriver identification card number or a photocopy of permitted photo identification, and identification of the election in which the ballot is being cast. Election officials would be forbidden from pre-printing any responses on the form, except that a municipal clerk could, in most cases, preprint the voter’s name and address.

Prepayment of postage banned. The proposed law would ban election officials from prepaying return postage for an absentee ballot.

Third-person rules repealed. The proposed law repeals procedures governing voting when a ballot is delivered or returned by a third person.

New rulemaking authority. The proposed law grants the Secretary of State authority to adopt rules regulating issuance of no-cost identification cards, and the requesting, issuing, and delivering of absentee ballots.

A “YES” vote is to enact the initiated legislation.

A “NO” vote opposes the initiated legislation.