On March 12, the office of the Secretary of State released draft language for the referendum as it will appear on the November ballot. The question, as drafted, reads:
“Do you want to change Maine election laws to require voters to show ID before voting, end ongoing absentee voting for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, eliminate two days of absentee voting, and make other changes to our elections?”
In 2024, a citizen’s initiative campaign known as “Voter ID for ME,” collected signatures for regressive and restrictive changes to Maine’s voting laws. The Secretary of State’s office has since certified enough of those signatures, and the referendum question is now poised to be on the ballot on Election Day in November 2025. You can read the full draft proposal here.
This ballot measure is about so much more than just Voter ID. If it passes, many Mainers will see their access to the ballot box unfairly restricted.
Limiting the number of secure ballot drop-off boxes a town may offer
Second-guessing town clerks, requiring a two-person, bipartisan team to check ballot boxes, instead of the clerk or a trusted member of their staff. This restriction will place undue pressure on town clerks, and will lead to many towns simply getting rid of their secure drop boxes.
Prohibiting towns from including return postage on absentee ballots, even if taxpayers vote to fund it.
Preventing you from calling your town clerk to request a ballot, making it harder for those without reliable transportation or internet to request an absentee ballot.
This measure isn’t right for Maine. We all want our elections to be as secure as possible. Instead of making it harder for Maine citizens to vote and tying the hands of our town clerks, we should focus on giving state and local elections officials the resources they need.
The Save Maine Absentee Voting Coalition is a diverse, nonpartisan group of organizations from across Maine who believe that fair, open, and accessible elections are the cornerstone of our democracy.
Mainers are proud of our tradition of civic engagement, and our voter turnout is consistently among the highest in the country. Absentee voting is a key part of that safe, secure tradition; it is also enormously popular with voters. But a referendum slated to come before voters on Election Day in November 2025 – backed by wealthy, out-of-state interests – attacks Maine’s robust absentee voting program and would restrict Maine citizens’ access to the ballot box. Let’s work together to Save Maine Absentee Voting and keep our trusted voting laws strong.
Paid for by Save Maine Absentee Voting, 411 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101. Contact us at info@saveabsentee.me | Donate | Sign up
