Press Release: Maine Supreme Court upholds clear, direct wording for voter suppression referendum
July 11, 2025
Save Maine Absentee Voting coalition celebrates court ruling
On Friday, the Maine Supreme Court issued a ruling upholding finalized ballot language for a referendum that attacks Maine’s absentee voting system. The wording had been challenged by the Ballot Question Committee known as Voter ID for ME, which lost on a ruling from the Maine Superior Court in June and its subsequent appeal today.
The referendum question will appear on ballots in November. It would fundamentally change Maine voting laws, including severely restricting absentee voting. The Save Maine Absentee Voting coalition formed to protect Mainers’ voting rights and defeat the referendum.
The ballot question reads:
“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?”
“For months, our message has been clear: Mainers deserve to know what they’re voting on. Absentee voting in Maine is safe, secure and popular. The referendum proposes 27 changes to Maine voting law that would effectively dismantle absentee voting. It's vital that the referendum question reflects that,” said Liz Wester, campaign manager for Save Maine Absentee Voting. “Two state courts have now affirmed that the ballot question language written by the Secretary of State’s office is clear, concise and accessible.”
The Save Maine Absentee Voting coalition is a diverse, nonpartisan group of organizations from across Maine who believe that fair, secure, and accessible elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. Coalition members are:
ACLU of Maine, American Postal Workers Union - Local 458, Community Organizing Alliance, Defend Our Health, Disability Rights Maine, Food AND Medicine, GLAD Law, Immigrant Welcome Center, JustME for JustUS, League of Women Voters - Maine, Maine AFL-CIO, Maine Conservation Voters, Maine Education Association, Maine Equal Justice, Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, Maine People’s Alliance, Maine Service Employees Association - SEIU Local 1989, Maine Voices Network, Maine Votes, Maine Women’s Lobby, Maine Youth Power, National Vote at Home Institute, RepresentUs, Southern Maine Labor Council, VoteRiders and the Wabanaki Alliance.
The referendum will appear on statewide ballots for the Nov. 4, 2025 election.
