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Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Initiative (2024)
| Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2024 | |
| Topic Healthcare | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Initiative was not on the ballot in Maine as an indirect initiated state statute on November 5, 2024.
The ballot initiative would provide an individual paid family and medical leave, as well as the ability to receive family and medical leave insurance benefits in certain situations.
Text of measure
Full text
The full text of the ballot initiative is available here.
Path to the ballot
Process in Maine
In Maine, the number of signatures required to qualify an indirect initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 10 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. Petitions can be circulated for up to 18 months, but signatures must be no more than one year old to be valid. Signatures must be filed with the secretary by the 50th day of the first regular legislative session or the 25th day of the second regular session. Maine's initiative process is indirect, which means sufficient initiative petitions first go to the legislature and only go to the ballot if the legislature rejects or does not act on the initiative.
The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2023 ballot:
- Signatures: 67,682 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: January 26, 2023
Each petition signature is certified by the local registrar of voters. The signatures are then submitted to the secretary of state. If enough signatures are verified, the initiatives are sent to the legislature. If the legislature approves the initiative, it becomes law. If the legislature does not act on the initiative or rejects it, the initiative goes on the ballot. The legislature may submit "any amended form, substitute, or recommendation" to the people alongside the initiative; this alternative is treated as a competing measure.
Stages of this initiative
- On July 19, 2022, the Maine Women’s Lobby and the Maine People’s Alliance announced that they are launching a signature campaign for the initiative.[1]
- As of late 2022, the groups collected more than 80,000 signatures in support of the initiative.[2]
See also
Footnotes
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State of Maine Augusta (capital) |
|---|---|
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