Article II, Maine Constitution

Maine Constitution
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Article II of the Maine Constitution is entitled Electors and consists of five sections.

Section 1

Text of Section 1: Qualifications of Electors; Written Ballot; Military Servicemen; Students Every citizen of the United States of the age of 18 years and upwards, excepting persons under guardianship for reasons of mental illness, having his or her residence established in this State, shall be an elector for Governor, Senators and Representatives, in the city, town or plantation where his or her residence has been established, if he or she continues to reside in this State; and the elections shall be by written ballot. But persons in the military, naval or marine service of the United States, or this State, shall not be considered as having obtained such established residence by being stationed in any garrison, barrack or military place, in any city, town or plantation; nor shall the residence of a student at any seminary of learning entitle the student to the right of suffrage in the city, town or plantation where such seminary is established. No person, however, shall be deemed to have lost residence by reason of the person's absence from the state in the military service of the United States, or of this State. Indians. Every Indian, residing on tribal reservations and otherwise qualified, shall be an elector in all county, state and national elections.

Amendments

• Maine Residence for Suffrage Purposes, Amendment No. 2 (1919), which was approved on September 8, 1919.
• Maine Voter Residence Qualification, Amendment No. 1 (1935), which was approved on September 9, 1935.
• Maine Voter Residence Qualification, Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (1938), which was approved on September 12, 1938.
• Maine Suffrage for Native Americans, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 2 (1954), which was approved on September 13, 1954.
• Maine Removal of Gender Biased Constitutional Language, Question 7 (1988), which was approved on November 8, 1988.

Section 2

	Text of Section 2: Electors Exempt from Arrests on Election Days Electors shall, in all cases, except treason, felony or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest on the days of election, during their attendance at, going to, and returning therefrom.

Section 3

	Text of Section 3: Exemption from Military Duty No elector shall be obliged to do duty in the militia on any day of election, except in time of war or public danger.

Section 4

Text of Section 4: Time of State Election; Absentee Voting The election of Senators and Representatives shall be on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November biennially forever and the election of Governor shall be on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November every 4 years. The Legislature under proper enactment shall authorize and provide for voting by citizens of the State absent therefrom in the Armed Forces of the United States or of this State and for voting by other citizens absent or physically incapacitated for reasons deemed sufficient.

Amendments

• Maine Absentee Voting for Armed Forces, Absent Persons and Physically Incapacitated, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 6 (1951), which was approved on September 10, 1951.

Section 5

	Text of Section 5: Voting Machines Voting machines, or other mechanical devices for voting, may be used at all elections under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, provided, however, the right of secret voting shall be preserved.

Amendments

• Maine Voting Machines, Amendment No. 3 (1935), which was approved on September 9, 1935 created this section.

See also

• List of amendments to the Maine Constitution
• State constitution
• Constitutional article
• Constitutional amendment
• Constitutional revision
• Constitutional convention
• Amendments
  • Initiated constitutional amendment
  • Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment
  • Publication requirements for proposed state constitutional amendments
  • Rules about constitutional conventions in state constitutions
  • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures

External links

Suggest a link

• Maine.gov, "Constitution of the State of Maine"
• Maine.gov, "Enacted Constitutional Amendments from 1911 - Present"
• Maine.gov, "Constitution of the State of Maine 1820"
• Maine: An Encyclopedia, "Constitution, Maine"

Additional reading

• Tinkle, Marshall J. (2013). The Maine State Constitution, New York, New York: Oxford University Press
• Palmer, Kenneth T. and Marcus LiBrizzi. (1989). "Development of the Maine Constitution: The Long Tradition, 1819-1988." Maine Historical Society Quarterly
• Hatch, Louis Clinton (1919). Maine: A History, New York, New York: The American Historical Society