Maine Question 1, Religious and Philosophical Vaccination Exemptions Referendum (March 2020)

Maine Question 1
Election date March 3, 2020
Topic Healthcare
Status d Defeated
Type Referendum	Origin Citizens
List of Maine measuresQuestion 1 (March)Question 1 (July)Question 2 (July)Submit

Maine Question 1, the Religious and Philosophical Vaccination Exemptions Referendum, was on the ballot in Maine as a veto referendum on March 3, 2020. Question 1 was defeated, thus upholding the targeted legislation.

A "yes" vote is to:  * repeal Legislative Document 798, which was designed to eliminate religious and philosophical exemptions from vaccination requirements for K-12 and college students and employees of healthcare facilities, and  * reinstate the law allowing for religious and philosophical exemptions from vaccination requirements.

A "no" vote was to:  * uphold Legislative Document 798, which was designed to eliminate religious and philosophical exemptions from vaccination requirements for students to attend schools and colleges and for employees of healthcare facilities.

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Election results

Maine Question 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		105,214	27.19%
No		281,750	72.81%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

What legislation did Question 1 seek to repeal?

See also: Text of Legislative Document 798

Question 1 would have repealed Legislative Document 798 (LD 798), which was designed to eliminate religious and philosophical exemptions from vaccination requirements for students to attend schools and colleges and for employees of healthcare facilities. Under LD 798, the elimination of religious and philosophical exemptions was scheduled to go into effect on September 1, 2021.

LD 798 was written to allow students with individualized education plans (IEPs) and who had a religious or philosophical exemption before September 1, 2021, to continue receiving the exemption while in school with a valid statement from a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. The statement would need to state that the medical professional consulted with a parent or guardian (when the student is less than 18-years-old) or the student (when the student is at least 18-years-old) about "the risks and benefits associated with the choice to immunize."

Who was behind the campaigns surrounding the ballot measure?

See also: Campaign finance

Yes on 1 Maine to Reject Big Pharma led the campaign in support of a "yes" vote, which would repeal LD 798 and reinstate religious and philosophical exemptions. The campaign committee, along with an allied committee, received $671,085. The largest donor was the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), which contributed $50,000. OCA As of 2020, OCA was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that, according to the group's website, "educates and advocates on behalf of organic consumers." The second-largest contribution was $27,020 from Stephanie Grondin, the office manager at Capital City Chiropractic.

Maine Families for Vaccines led the campaign in support of a "no" vote, which would uphold LD 798. Maine Families for Vaccines and the allied Maine Street Solutions - Protect Schools PAC received $872,619. The pharmaceutical companies Merck, Sharp & Dohme and Pfizer were the largest donors, each contributing $250,000.

How did Question 1 make the ballot?

See also: Path to the ballot

Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed Legislative Document 798 (LD 798) into law on May 24, 2019. Most legislative Democrats (84 percent) supported the bill. Most legislative Republicans (91 percent) opposed the bill. In June 2019, the campaign committee Mainers for Health and Parental Rights filed paperwork for the veto referendum. On September 18, 2019, the campaign filed 95,871 raw signatures, of which 79,056 were valid. A minimum of 63,067 signatures needed to be valid. On October 17, 2019, Secretary of State Dunlap (D) announced that the veto referendum qualified to appear on the ballot at the statewide election on March 3, 2020.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title was as follows:

“

Question 1: People’s Veto Do you want to reject the new law that removes religious and philosophical exemptions to requiring immunization against certain communicable diseases for students to attend schools and colleges and for employees of nursery schools and health care facilities?

”

Full text

The full text of Legislative Document 798 (LD 798), which the veto referendum sought to overturn, makes changes to Maine Revised Statutes Annotated (MRSA). LD 798 added the following underlined text and delete the following struck-through text:

An Act To Protect Maine Children and Students from Preventable Diseases by Repealing Certain Exemptions from the Laws Governing Immunization Requirements Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6355, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 326, §2, is further amended to read: 2. Medical exemption. The parent or the child provides a physician's written statement from a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant that, in the licensed physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician assistant's professional judgment, immunization against one or more of the diseases may be medically inadvisable. Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §6355, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2001, c. 326, §2, is repealed: 3. Philosophical or religious exemption. The parent states in writing a sincere religious belief that is contrary to the immunization requirement of this subchapter or an opposition to the immunization for philosophical reasons. Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §6355, sub-§4 is enacted to read: 4. Student covered by individualized education plan. A student covered by an individualized education plan on September 1, 2021 who elected a philosophical or religious exemption from immunization requirements on or before September 1, 2021 pursuant to the law in effect prior to that date may continue to attend school under that student's existing exemption as long as: A. The parent or guardian of the student provides a statement from a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant that the physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant has consulted with that parent or guardian and has made that parent or guardian aware of the risks and benefits associated with the choice to immunize; or B. If the student is 18 years of age or older, the student provides a statement from a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant that the physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant has consulted with that student and has made that student aware of the risks and benefits associated with the choice to immunize. Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §6358, as amended by PL 2001, c. 326, §3 and PL 2003, c. 689, Pt. B, §6, is further amended to read: §6358. Rules; requirements; reports 1. Rules authorized. The commissioner and the Director of the Bureau of Health, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services, shall jointly issue rules necessary for the effective implementation of this subchapter, including, but not limited to, rules specifying those diseases for which immunization is required and establishing school record keeping and reporting requirements or guidelines and procedures for the exclusion of nonimmunized children from school. The rules may not include any provision governing medical exemptions. Rules adopted pursuant to this subchapter are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A except that rules adopted pursuant to this subchapter specifying the diseases for which immunization is required are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A 2-A. 2. Local requirements authorized. Immunization requirements more stringent than the provisions of this subchapter may be adopted by ordinance enacted by a municipality, by regulation of a school board or by policy of a private school's governing board. 3. Report. By January 1st of each odd-numbered year, the Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services shall submit a report to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and education matters concerning any new developments in the evaluation of vaccine safety and effectiveness. The joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and education matters are each authorized to submit a bill during the legislative session in which the report was submitted. Sec. 5. 20-A MRSA §6359, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 1991, c. 146, §3, is further amended to read: A. The parent or the student provides a physician's written statement or a written statement from a school health provider from a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant that, in the physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician assistant's professional judgment, immunization against one or more of the diseases may be medically inadvisable. Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §6359, sub-§3, ¶B, as amended by PL 2001, c. 326, §6, is repealed: B. The student or the parent, if the student is a minor, states in writing a sincere religious belief, which is contrary to the immunization requirement of this subchapter or an opposition to the immunization for philosophical reasons. Sec. 7. 20-A MRSA §6359, sub-§6, as amended by PL 1991, c. 146, §4, is further amended to read: 6. Rules; requirements; reports. The Director of the Bureau of Health Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services shall adopt rules necessary for the effective implementation of this subchapter, including, but not limited to, rules establishing immunization requirements and medical exceptions to receiving vaccines or toxoids for each disease, school record keeping and reporting requirements or guidelines and procedures for the exclusion of nonimmunized students from school. The rules may not include any provision governing medical exemptions. Rules adopted pursuant to this subchapter are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A except that rules adopted pursuant to this subchapter specifying the diseases for which immunization is required are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. Immunization requirements more stringent than the provisions of this subchapter may be adopted by a school board or by policy of a private school's governing board. Sec. 8. 22 MRSA §802, sub-§4-B, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 185, §2, is amended to read: A. A medical exemption is available to an employee who provides a physician's written statement from a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant that, in the physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician assistant's professional judgment, immunization against one or more diseases may be medically inadvisable. Sec. 9. 22 MRSA §802, sub-§4-B, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 185, §2, is repealed: B. A religious or philosophical exemption is available to an employee who states in writing a sincere religious or philosophical belief that is contrary to the immunization requirement of this subchapter. Sec. 10. 22 MRSA §8402, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2001, c. 645, §10, is further amended to read: A. The department shall adopt rules regarding the health of staff as required to protect the health and safety of the children. The rules must include a requirement that every 2 years each licensee, administrator or other staff member of the nursery school who provides care for children be declared free from communicable disease by a licensed physician, except that this requirement may be waived for a person who objects on the grounds of sincerely held religious or philosophical belief, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Rules adopted pursuant to this paragraph are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A 2-A. Sec. 11. Rules. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services shall amend their rules to remove any rules exempting persons from immunization requirements because of their religious or philosophical beliefs. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6358, subsection 1 and section 6359, subsection 6. Sec. 12. Effective date. Those sections of this Act that amend the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 802, subsection 4-B, paragraph A and Title 22, section 8402, subsection 3, paragraph A and that repeal Title 20-A, section 6355, subsection 3 and Title 20-A, section 6359, subsection 3, paragraph B take effect September 1, 2021.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2020

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The Maine Secretary of State wrote the ballot language for this measure. The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 22.5, and the FRE is 1. The word count for the ballot title is 38, and the estimated reading time is 10 seconds.

Support

Yes on 1 Maine to Reject Big Pharma led the campaign in support of a "yes" vote to repeal LD 798.

Supporters

• Rep. William Faulkingham (R-136)
• Rep. Justin Fecteau (R-86)

Arguments

• Cara Sacks, co-chair of Mainers for Health and Parental Rights: Sacks described LD 798 as an "incredibly punitive and overreaching law that allows our government to mandate medical intervention in exchange for receiving any kind of education, whether private or public."
• Rep. Justin Fecteau (R-86): "For me, it’s not even about vaccinations – it’s should the government use coercion to get a ‘desired behavior’ out of its populace? And I think where there’s risk, there must be choice – and so that’s why I’ll be voting Yes on 1."
• Meryl Nass, a physician: "We are on a slippery slope. If the law denying religious and personal belief vaccine exemptions is not overturned by popular vote on March 3, the citizens of Maine will have voluntarily surrendered rights and freedoms that are crucial to what we hold dear as a nation. Do we really want to trade our freedoms for an unmeasurable reduction in childhood infectious disease?"

• Cara Sacks, co-chair of Mainers for Health and Parental Rights, described LD 798 as an "incredibly punitive and overreaching law that allows our government to mandate medical intervention in exchange for receiving any kind of education, whether private or public."
• Rep. Justin Fecteau (R-86) said, "For me, it’s not even about vaccinations – it’s should the government use coercion to get a ‘desired behavior’ out of its populace? And I think where there’s risk, there must be choice – and so that’s why I’ll be voting Yes on 1."
• Meryl Nass, a physician, stated, "We are on a slippery slope. If the law denying religious and personal belief vaccine exemptions is not overturned by popular vote on March 3, the citizens of Maine will have voluntarily surrendered rights and freedoms that are crucial to what we hold dear as a nation. Do we really want to trade our freedoms for an unmeasurable reduction in childhood infectious disease?"

Opposition

Maine Families for Vaccines, also known as No on Question 1, led the campaign in support of a "no" vote to uphold LD 798.

Opponents

Maine Families for Vaccines provided a list of coalition members, which can be accessed here.

Officials

• Gov. Janet Mills (D)

Organizations

• American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Chapter
• American College of Emergency Physicians, Maine Chapter
• American Medical Association
• American Nurses Association of Maine
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• Maine Academy of Family Physicians
• Maine Association of School Nurses
• Maine Council of Churches
• Maine Council on Aging
• Maine Dental Association
• Maine Hospital Association
• Maine Medical Association
• Maine Nurse Practitioner Association
• Maine Osteopathic Association
• Maine Pharmacy Association
• Maine Public Health Association
• Maine Radiological Society
• Maine Society of Anesthesiologists
• Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund

Arguments

• Caitlin Gilmet, a spokesperson for Maine Families for Vaccines: "Vaccines are one of the most effective ways that parents can protect their children and help them to lead a healthy life. Improving Maine’s immunization rates helps to protect the entire community from preventable diseases."
• Stephen Bowen, a former commissioner of the Maine Department of Education: "The same cannot be said of Maine’s most vulnerable children, however, for it is they who are at risk if Question 1 passes. They will face increased danger from their non-immunized classmates and their families will need to decide each day whether sending their children to school is worth the risk."
• Julian Kuffler, Andres Abreu, Lynne Assaf, Brenda Beckett, Brian Caine, Nathan Donaldson, Peter Goebel, Casey Hanson, Stephen Koscherak, Vanessa Little, Christy Seed—a group of physicians and healthcare professionals: "Vaccines work best if most all members of a community (at least 95 percent) are vaccinated. Vaccinating less of the population will not prevent outbreaks of dangerous diseases. Vaccinating less of the population will expose vulnerable people such as those with cancers, or immune deficiencies or those too young to be vaccinated to significant danger. This is a shared responsibility of all members of a community. No one should have a “right” to send a child unvaccinated by choice to a public school we all support and use. It’s become so backward that children suffering from cancers or other serious medical conditions are sometimes forced to stay out of school because they have to share classrooms with too many unvaccinated classmates who pose a risk to their health."

• Caitlin Gilmet, a spokesperson for Maine Families for Vaccines, said, "Vaccines are one of the most effective ways that parents can protect their children and help them to lead a healthy life. Improving Maine’s immunization rates helps to protect the entire community from preventable diseases."

• Stephen Bowen, a former commissioner of the Maine Department of Education, wrote, "The same cannot be said of Maine’s most vulnerable children, however, for it is they who are at risk if Question 1 passes. They will face increased danger from their non-immunized classmates and their families will need to decide each day whether sending their children to school is worth the risk."

• Julian Kuffler, Andres Abreu, Lynne Assaf, Brenda Beckett, Brian Caine, Nathan Donaldson, Peter Goebel, Casey Hanson, Stephen Koscherak, Vanessa Little, Christy Seed—a group of physicians and healthcare professionals—co-signed a guest editorial, which stated, "Vaccines work best if most all members of a community (at least 95 percent) are vaccinated. Vaccinating less of the population will not prevent outbreaks of dangerous diseases. Vaccinating less of the population will expose vulnerable people such as those with cancers, or immune deficiencies or those too young to be vaccinated to significant danger. This is a shared responsibility of all members of a community. No one should have a “right” to send a child unvaccinated by choice to a public school we all support and use. It’s become so backward that children suffering from cancers or other serious medical conditions are sometimes forced to stay out of school because they have to share classrooms with too many unvaccinated classmates who pose a risk to their health."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Maine ballot measures

The Mainers for Health and Parental Rights and Yes on 1 Maine to Reject Big Pharma PACs registered to support a "yes" vote on the veto referendum (repeal the law). Together, the committees had received $671,085 and expended $637,721. The largest contributor to the support committees was the Organic Consumers Association, which donated $50,000.

The Maine Families for Vaccines and Maine Street Solutions - Protect Schools PAC registered to support a "no" vote on the veto referendum (uphold the law). Together, the committees had received $872,619 and expended $838,555. The largest contributors to the committees were the companies Pfizer and Merck Sharp & Dohme, which each donated $250,000.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$595,281.41	$75,803.63	$671,085.04	$561,917.77	$637,721.40
Oppose	$821,569.99	$51,049.15	$872,619.14	$787,505.95	$838,555.10
Total	$1,416,851.40	$126,852.78	$1,543,704.18	$1,349,423.72	$1,476,276.50

Support for "yes" vote

The contribution and expenditure totals for the committees advocating for a "yes" vote on the referendum (repeal the law) were as follows:

Committees in support of Question 1
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Yes on 1 Maine to Reject Big Pharma	$416,909.01	$53,354.63	$470,263.64	$403,220.46	$456,575.09
Mainers for Health and Parental Rights	$178,372.40	$22,449.00	$200,821.40	$158,697.31	$181,146.31
Total	$595,281.41	$75,803.63	$671,085.04	$561,917.77	$637,721.40

Donors

The following were the top five donors who contributed to the committees:

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Organic Consumers Association	$50,000.00	$0.00	$50,000.00
Stephanie Grondin	$27,020.00	$0.00	$27,020.00
Adaptive Digital Media	$0.00	$19,500.00	$19,500.00
Aaron Hoshide	$19,051.22	$125.00	$19,176.22
Sarah Kenney	$3,052.00	$16,000.00	$19,052.00

Support for "no" vote

The contribution and expenditure totals for the committees advocating for a "no" vote on the referendum (uphold the law) were as follows:

Committees in opposition to Question 1
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Maine Street Solutions - Protect Schools	$649,517.00	$45,000.00	$694,517.00	$649,517.00	$694,517.00
Maine Families for Vaccines PAC	$172,052.99	$6,049.15	$178,102.14	$137,988.95	$144,038.10
Total	$821,569.99	$51,049.15	$872,619.14	$787,505.95	$838,555.10

Donors

The following were the top five donors who contributed to the committees:

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Merck Sharp and Dohme	$250,000.00	$0.00	$250,000.00
Pfizer	$250,000.00	$0.00	$250,000.00
Biotechnology Innovation Organization	$98,000.00	$0.00	$98,000.00
Maine Hospital Association	$50,000.00	$2,171.15	$52,171.15
Every Child By Two	$45,000.00	$0.00	$45,000.00

Methodology

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Media editorials

See also: 2020 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

Ballotpedia did not identify media editorial board endorsements in support of a "Yes" vote on Question 1.

Opposition

• Mount Desert Islander Editorial Board: "At 5.6 percent, Maine’s non-medical vaccination opt-out rate is nearly triple the national average for kindergartners. High school seniors here in Hancock County have some of the highest exemption rates. These children have been left vulnerable to preventable diseases. They also pose a risk to other children, individuals with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, infants, people with cancer and the small percentage of the population for whom vaccines don’t work well."
• Portland Press Herald Editorial Board: "The real question that voters will have to decide next month is this: Despite a medical and scientific consensus in favor of using vaccines to limit the spread of disease, should some people be allowed to opt out, putting the most vulnerable members of their community at risk? When you ask it that way, the only right answer is 'no.'"
• Bangor Daily News Editorial Board: "We encourage voters to listen to the Mainers who were disabled by or lost family members to diseases that are now nearly eradicated because of vaccines. Hear the anguish from parents who fear for the safety of their children who have illnesses or are receiving treatments that diminish their immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases. They count on others to be vaccinated. It is part of the social compact that is the foundation of our communities."

Background

Legislative Document 798 (2019)

Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed Legislative Document 798 (LD 798) into law on May 24, 2019. The Maine House of Representatives passed LD 798 in a vote of 79-62 on May 21, 2019. The Maine State Senate passed LD 798 in a vote of 19-16 on May 23, 2019.

Vote in the Maine House of Representatives May 21, 2019
Requirement: Simple majority vote of members voting
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	79	62	9
Total percent	52.67%	41.33%	6.00%
Democrat	74	7	7
Republican	3	51	2
Independent	2	3	0
CS Independent	0	1	0

Vote in the Maine State Senate May 23, 2019
Requirement: Simple majority vote of members voting
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	19	16	0
Total percent	54.29%	45.71%	0.00%
Democrat	18	3	0
Republican	1	13	0

Schedule of vaccines to attend school in Maine

As of 2019, students were required to have the following vaccinations to attend school, unless the student received exemptions.

• To enter Kindergarten, the student needed to receive (a) four or five, depending on the dates of birth and vaccination, diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccinations; (b) four polio vaccinations; (c) two measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations; and (e) one varicella (chickenpox) vaccination, unless the parent or guardian can present a reliable record of the child having chickenpox before Kindergarten.

• To enter 7th grade, the student needed to receive the following additional vaccinations since Kindergarten: (a) one DTaP vaccination and (b) one meningococcal conjugate (MCV4) vaccination.

• To enter 12th grade, the student needed to receive the following additional vaccination since 7th grade: (a) one or two does of the MCV4 vaccination, depending on the dates of birth and vaccination.

States and student vaccine exemptions

As of 2020, five states—California, Maine, Mississippi, New York, and West Virginia—did not provide for non-medical exemptions from vaccination requirements for students to attend schools.

• 1905: West Virginia, which began requiring vaccination for students in 1905, never provided for non-medical vaccination exemptions.

• 1979: In 1979, Mississippi eliminated non-medical vaccination exemptions after the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that non-medical exemptions for students violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

• 2015: California eliminated non-medical exemptions for students in 2015. Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed the legislation to eliminate non-medical exemptions on June 30, 2015, after the Senate voted 24-14 and the Assembly voted 46-31.

• 2019: The Maine State Legislature passed a bill to eliminate non-medical exemptions for students and employees of healthcare facilities. Gov. Mills (D) signed the bill on May 24, 2019.

• 2019: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a bill to eliminate non-medical exemptions for students on June 13, 2019. The Senate voted 36-26. The Assembly voted 77-53.

As of 2020, 13 states provided for philosophical and religious exemptions from student vaccination requirements, according to the Immunization Action Coalition and NCSL. An additional 30 states and Washington, D.C., provided for a religious, but not a philosophical or personal belief, exemption. An additional two states—Louisiana and Minnesota—provided for a philosophical, but not a religious, exemption, but the terms philosophical or personal belief often encompass religion for practical purposes.

There are some exceptions for specific vaccinations. In Washington, a student's parents or guardians cannot obtain a personal belief exemption for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. In Virginia, religious exemptions are available for vaccines, but a personal belief exemption can also be used for the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine.

Vaccination on the ballot

Ballotpedia identified five statewide ballot measures related to vaccination. The five statewide ballot measures appeared on ballots between 1916 and 1922 in four western states—Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. The following table details the vaccination-related ballot measures:

Measure	Year	Description	Outcome
Washington Referendum 13	1922	Remove vaccination requirements for school attendance	d Defeated
California Proposition 6	1920	Prohibits vaccination from being made a condition to attend school	d Defeated
Oregon Measure 7	1920	Prohibits vaccination from being made a condition to attend school	d Defeated
Arizona Proposition 9	1918	Prohibits vaccination of a child without a parent's consent and forbids an unvaccinated child from attending school during a smallpox epidemic	a Approved
Oregon Measure 6	1916	Prohibits vaccination from being made a condition to attend school	d Defeated

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Maine

Process in Maine

In Maine, the number of signatures required to qualify a veto referendum for the ballot is equal to 10 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. Signatures are due 90 days after the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed.

The requirements to get a veto referendum certified for the 2020 ballot:

• Signatures: 63,067 valid signatures were required.
• Deadline: 90 days after the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed.

If enough signatures are verified, the targeted bill goes on the next election ballot at least 60 days away as a referendum.

Stages of this initiative

In June 2019, the organization Mainers for Health and Parental Rights filed paperwork for the veto referendum. Cara Sacks, the organization's co-chair, said, "We are proceeding with the veto. We are excited to get this on the road and give Maine people a voice." The veto referendum was approved for signature gathering on June 26, 2019.

As the targeted legislation was passed during the legislative session that ended on June 20, 2019, proponents of the veto referendum had until September 18, 2019, to file signatures. On September 18, 2019, the campaign Mainers for Health and Parental Rights filed 95,871 raw signatures to the office of Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap (D).

On October 17, 2019, Secretary of State Dunlap announced that 79,056 signatures were valid, which exceeded the requirement of 63,067. Therefore, the veto referendum qualified to appear on the ballot at the statewide election on March 3, 2020.

Cost of signature collection:
Sponsors of the measure hired Harvest Consulting and James Tracey to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $108,358.00 was spent to collect the 63,067 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $1.72.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Maine

Click "Show" to learn more about voter registration, identification requirements, and poll times in Maine.

How to cast a vote in Maine

The information below covers regular voting policies in the state. Information may have not applied to the election on November 3, 2020, because of temporary changes in response to coronavirus. Click here to read about changes made for the 2020 elections. Poll times In Maine, municipalities with a population of 500 or more open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., while municipalities with a population of less than 500 open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. All polls close at 8:00 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. Registration Check your voter registration status here. To register to vote in Maine, one must be "a United States citizen, at least 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, and have established a fixed principal home in Maine. To vote in a Referendum or General Election, you must be registered in the community where you reside, and be at least 18 years of age. A 17 year old may vote in a Primary Election, if that person will be 18 by the General Election." Voters can return completed registration cards in person or by mail to their town office or city hall, any Motor Vehicle branch office, most state & federal social service agencies, or a voter registration drive. There is no deadline for voter registration if completed in person. If registering by mail or online, the deadline is 21 days prior to the election. If registering through a qualified state agency, the deadlines is seven days prior to the election. When registering for the first time in Maine, voters must provide documents verifying their identity and residence. The following documents are acceptable identification for the purpose of registering to vote: Government ID with a photo (i.e. driver’s license, State ID, valid U.S. Passport, military ID, ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe) Government ID without photo (i.e. certified birth certificate or signed Social Security card) Other official document showing the name and address of voter (i.e. eligibility for public benefits, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck) Student photo ID from a state-approved public or private school or institute of higher education in Maine Maine driver’s license number or last four digits of Social Security Number Automatic registration On June 19, 2019, Gov. Janet Mills signed an automatic voter registration bill into law that was scheduled for implementation in 2022. The law registers voters through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Online registration See also: Online voter registration Maine has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. Governor Janet T. Mills (D) signed L.D. 1126 into law on July 9, 2021, allowing online voter registration in Maine. This legislation went into effect on November 1, 2023. Same-day registration Maine allows same-day voter registration. Residency requirements To register to vote in Maine, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible. Verification of citizenship See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States Maine does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters. Verifying your registration The Maine voter information lookup service allows residents to check their voter registration status online. Voter ID requirements Maine does not require voters to present identification while voting. If a voter registers to vote on Election Day, he or she must provide identification and proof of residence.

See also

2019 measures

• 2019 ballot measures
• Healthcare on the ballot

Maine

• Maine ballot measures
• Maine ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

Legislation

• Maine Legislative Document 798 (2019)

Support

• Yes on 1 Maine to Reject Big Pharma
• Yes on 1 Maine to Reject Big Pharma on Facebook

Opposition

• Maine Families for Vaccines
• Maine Families for Vaccines on Facebook
• Maine Families for Vaccines on Twitter