Voting restriction referendum to be Question 1 on statewide ballot
July 31, 2025
Save Maine Absentee Voting coalition urge Mainers to Vote NO on Nov. 4
AUGUSTA – On Thursday, the Maine Secretary of State’s Office announced the order of upcoming referendum questions that will appear on statewide ballots in the Nov. 4, 2025, election. The voter restriction referendum, which would dismantle Maine’s absentee voting system, will be Question 1.
“Absentee voting is popular, safe, and secure. In the last election, 40% of Maine voters used absentee ballots,” said Liz Wester, campaign manager for Save Maine Absentee Voting. “Absentee voting helps older Mainers, Mainers with disabilities, shift workers, working families, and thousands of other Mainers safely and securely cast their votes. We urge Mainers to vote No on Question 1 in November.”
Question 1 will appear on the ballot as:
“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 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.
