Maine Question 2, Prohibit Foreign Spending in Elections Initiative (2023)

Maine Question 2
Election date November 7, 2023
Topic Campaign finance and Elections and campaigns
Status a Approved
Type State statute	Origin Citizens

Maine Question 2, the Prohibit Foreign Spending in Elections Initiative, was on the ballot in Maine as an indirect initiated state statute on November 7, 2023.The ballot measure was approved.

A "yes" vote supported prohibiting foreign governments, or entities with at least 5% foreign government ownership or control, from spending money to influence ballot measures or candidate elections.

A "no" vote opposed prohibiting foreign governments, or entities with at least 5% foreign government ownership or control, from spending money to influence ballot measures or candidate elections.

Election results

Maine Question 2
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		348,781	86.33%
No		55,226	13.67%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

How did the measure change the law regarding campaign finance?

See also: Measure design

The measure prohibited direct or indirect election spending by foreign governments, including entities with partial (5% or more equity stake) foreign government ownership or control, to influence the nomination or election of a candidate or the initiation or approval of a ballot measure. It also required disclosure on political advertisements if a foreign government, or an entity that has partial foreign government ownership or control, disperses any money for the advertisement.

At the time of the election, federal law prohibited contributions, donations, expenditures (including independent expenditures), and disbursements by foreign nationals to any federal, state, or local election but not ballot measure elections. Question 2 added the federal prohibition to state law and included ballot measure elections. Therefore, Question 2 prohibited foreign spending on ballot measure elections that federal law did not prohibit.

Under Question 2, a violation of the law is considered a Class C crime. The penalty for an activity prohibited under this measure is up to $5,000, or double the amount of the contribution or expenditure involved in the violation, whichever is greater.

It also called on Maine's congressional delegation to support a federal constitutional amendment to ban foreign government spending in elections.

Are there any states or cities with laws regarding foreign spending?

See also: States and cities that prohibit foreign spending on ballot measure campaigns

At the time of the election, seven states—California, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington—prohibited foreign nationals from making contributions to ballot measure campaigns, and two cities—Seattle, Washington, and San Jose, California—banned election spending by foreign-influenced entities.

Who supported and opposed Question 2?

See also: Campaign finance

Protect Maine Elections was the PAC registered in support of Question 2. The campaign reported $925,141 in total contributions according to the campaign finance reports that covered through October 24, 2023.

Sen. Rick Bennett (R-19), who supported Question 2, said, "It is unconscionable that foreign governments are currently permitted to dump millions of dollars into referendum campaigns, the very tool which Maine voters can directly affect state law. In order to maintain the integrity of our elections and political process, we have an obligation to close the loophole identified by the FEC in 2021, and it’s no surprise that Maine voters agree."

Gov. Janet Mills (D), who vetoed the indirect initiated state statute after it passed the state legislature, said, "While I strongly support and share the desire to find ways to prevent foreign influence in our elections, the language of this bill is too broad and would likely result in the unintended consequences of effectively silencing legitimate voices, including Maine-based businesses, in debates that would impact their interests."

Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure.

Aftermath

In July 2025, a federal appeals court blocked Maine from enforcing Question 2. In her decision, Judge Lara Montecalvo wrote, "The prohibition is overly broad, silencing U.S. corporations based on the mere possibility that foreign shareholders might try to influence its decisions on political speech, even where those foreign shareholders may be passive owners that exercise no influence or control over the corporation's political spending."

In a statement after the appeals court decision, Rick Bennet of Protect Maine Elections, said, "Mainers spoke with one voice: Our elections should belong to us, not to corporations owned or influenced by foreign governments whose interests may not align with our own." The matter was sent back to a lower court, where it will proceed.

Measure design

Click on the arrows (▼) below for summaries of the different provisions of the measure.

Election spending by foreign governments or entities: Prohibition on election spending or electioneering communications with disbursements by foreign governments

The measure prohibited election spending by foreign governments, including entities with partial (5% or more equity stake) foreign government ownership or control. This also included a person or group of people exercising political jurisdiction over any other country other than the United States, or any faction within a country assuming to exercise governmental authority, whether or not that faction has been recognized by the United States.

Under this measure, a foreign government or entity with partial foreign government ownership or control is prohibited from making any electioneering communication, which includes any sort of communication to the public by television, radio, newspapers, internet, and other mediums, to influence the outcome of an election. It prohibited a person or entity from receiving political contributions from a foreign government or entity with partial foreign government ownership or control.

At the time of the election, federal law prohibited contributions, donations, expenditures (including independent expenditures), and disbursements by foreign nationals to any federal, state, or local elections, but allowed foreign spending for ballot measure campaigns.

The law prohibited structuring a solicitation for contributions, expenditures, electioneering communications, or donation of funds made by a foreign government or entity with partial foreign government ownership or control in an effort to circumvent the law. It also prohibited any person from knowingly or recklessly providing assistance to any entity in making or receiving a contribution, expenditure, donation, or electioneering communication by a foreign government or entity with partial foreign government ownership or control.

Disclosure: Disclosure requirements for certain communications that have received contributions from foreign government

Under this measure, if a foreign government or entity with partial government ownership or control disburses funds or contributions for a public communication (by television, radio, internet platform, newspaper, or another outlet) in order to influence the public regarding a policy or political interest, that communication must clearly contain the words “sponsored by” immediately followed by the name of the entity that made the disbursement. It also has to include a statement identifying that entity as a foreign government or foreign government-influenced entity.

Due diligence: Requirements for media outlets regarding foreign spending in elections

Each media outlet—whether that be television, radio, newspaper, magazine, internet platform, or any other medium—is required to establish due diligence policies designed to ensure that it does not broadcast a public communication that a foreign government or entity with partial foreign government ownership or control has funded in violation of the law. If an internet platform discovers that it distributed such a communication, the platform is required to immediately remove it.

Penalties: Penalties regarding prohibited activity under this measure

The penalty for an activity prohibited under this measure is up to $5,000, or double the amount of the contribution or expenditure involved in the violation, whichever is greater. The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices would assess the penalty.

Report: Annual report by the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices

The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices is required to issue a report consecutively for seven years, beginning on July 31, 2023, identifying anti-corruption amendment proposals introduced in Congress and the members of Maine's Congressional Delegation sponsoring such proposals.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The official ballot title was as follows:

“

QUESTION 2: An Act to Prohibit Campaign Spending by Foreign Governments and Promote an Anticorruption Amendment to the United States Constitution. Do you want to ban foreign governments and entities that they own, control, or influence from making campaign contributions or financing communications for or against candidates or ballot questions?

”

Ballot summary

The official ballot summary was as follows:

“

This initiated bill makes the following changes to the election laws. 1. It prohibits a foreign government-influenced entity from making, directly or indirectly, a contribution, expenditure, independent expenditure, electioneering communication or any other donation or disbursement of funds to influence the nomination or election of a candidate or the initiation or approval of a referendum. It prohibits a person from knowingly or recklessly providing substantial assistance, with or without compensation, in the making of an expenditure, independent expenditure, electioneering communication or disbursement in violation of this prohibition. It prohibits a person from knowingly soliciting, accepting or receiving a contribution or donation in violation of this prohibition and prohibits a person from knowingly or recklessly providing substantial assistance, with or without compensation, in the making, solicitation, acceptance or receipt of a contribution or donation in violation of this prohibition. 2. It prohibits a person from structuring or attempting to structure a solicitation, contribution, expenditure, independent expenditure, electioneering communication, donation, disbursement or other transaction to evade the prohibitions and requirements in the initiated bill. 3. It requires, whenever a foreign government-influenced entity disburses funds to finance a public communication to influence the public or government officials on issues of state or local policy or foreign relations, that the communication include a clear and conspicuous statement naming the foreign government-influenced entity as a sponsor of the communication. 4. It directs each television or radio broadcasting station, provider of cable or satellite television, print news outlet and Internet platform to establish due diligence policies to prevent the distribution of communications for which foreign government-influenced entities have made prohibited expenditures, independent expenditures, electioneering communications or disbursements and further directs an Internet platform to, upon discovery, immediately remove any such communications from its platform. 5. It provides that the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices may assess a penalty of not more than $5,000 or double the amount of the contribution, expenditure, independent expenditure, electioneering communication, donation or disbursement involved in the violation, whichever is greater, for a violation of the initiated bill. 6. The initiated bill also calls on each member of Maine's Congressional Delegation to actively support and promote an effective anticorruption amendment to the United States Constitution to reaffirm the power of citizens through their government to regulate the raising and spending of money in elections. 7. For 7 consecutive years beginning July 31, 2023, the initiated bill requires the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to issue a report, following public comment, identifying anticorruption amendment proposals introduced in Congress and the members of Maine's Congressional Delegation sponsoring such proposals.

”

Fiscal impact statement

The official fiscal impact statement was as follows:

“

This citizen initiative prohibits expenditures by foreign governments or foreign government influenced entities to influence the nomination or election of a candidate or the initiation or approval of a referendum. These prohibitions and new requirements for additional annual reporting by the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices about federal anticorruption efforts are not anticipated to create additional costs for the State or local units of government. The initiative also creates a new Class C crime for violations of the proposed changes. The average cost of incarcerating one individual for a single year is $55,203. No assumption is made at this time of the number of individuals who may be incarcerated for violations of such crimes in the future, if any. Any additional workload associated with the minimal number of new cases that might be filed in the court system will not require additional funding. The collection of additional fine and/or fee revenue may increase General Fund and dedicated revenue by minor amounts.

”

Full text

The full text of the ballot measure is below:

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2023

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 secretary of state wrote the ballot language for this measure.

The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 16, and the FRE is 21. The word count for the ballot title is 49.

The FKGL for the ballot summary is grade level 27, and the FRE is -21. The word count for the ballot summary is 422.

Support

Protect Maine Elections led the campaign in support of this initiative.

Supporters

Officials

• U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D)
• State Sen. Richard Bennett (R)
• State Sen. Nicole Grohoski (D)
• State Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross (D)

Organizations

• American Promise
• Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
• End Citizens United
• Maine Citizens for Clean Elections
• Piper Action Fund
• Represent.Us

Arguments

• Sen. Nicole Grohoski (D-7): "Voters in my district, and indeed around the state, are sick and tired of having their voices silenced by millions of dollars in dark money political ads each election cycle. The current level of spending, which increases every year, is poisonous to our democracy – this initiative is the antidote that Maine voters are asking for."
• Protect Maine Elections: "Foreign government interference in our elections threatens our democracy and national security. Our initiative stops foreign governments from spending in Maine elections, imposes new public disclosure requirements on foreign entities that engage in issue advertising, and requires that media companies disclose illegal spending by foreign powers."
• Sen. Rick Bennett (R-19): "It is unconscionable that foreign governments are currently permitted to dump millions of dollars into referendum campaigns, the very tool which Maine voters can directly affect state law. In order to maintain the integrity of our elections and political process, we have an obligation to close the loophole identified by the FEC in 2021, and it’s no surprise that Maine voters agree."

Official arguments

• Kaitlin LaCasse, Protect Maine Elections (Maine Citizen's Voter Guide): "Vote YES ON 2 to protect our elections from the foreign governments that seek to disrupt our democracy. A cross-partisan group of Maine voters formed Protect Maine Elections in support of banning foreign governments and entities that they own, control, or influence from making campaign contributions or financing communications for or against candidates or ballot questions. Volunteers spent a year collecting over 80,000 signatures from neighbors and friends, family members and colleagues so we can ensure this protection in law. The Maine government isn’t permitted to make such campaign contributions, it is unthinkable that we would continue to allow foreign governments to do so. 82% of Maine voters support banning foreign governments, and foreign government-owned entities from spending in our elections – including 91% of Republicans, 83% of Democrats, and 82% of Independents. There are few issues – if any – where we see such a consensus among Maine voters. Voting YES ON 2 reflects our shared values about democracy. Maine voices should not be silenced by foreign governments or dark money special interest groups. As voters of Maine, we are responsible stewards of our democracy and want our voices and our votes to count. Vote YES ON 2 to protect our Maine elections from foreign government interference."
• Anna Kellar, Maine Citizens for Clean Elections (Maine Citizen's Voter Guide): "Maine Citizens for Clean Elections (MCCE) supports a yes vote on Question 2. MCCE is a nonpartisan organization that has been working for over thirty years to ensure elections remain in the hands of voters, not big money donors. Question 2 would close a loophole in our laws and ensure that foreign governments cannot drown out the voices of Maine voters. Too often big-money interests try to use campaign spending to sway the outcome of elections away from what voters want. Foreign governments and foreign government controlled entities have the resources to distort our political discourse. You don’t have to believe that foreign interests are bad or hostile to our government. The simple fact is that their interests and loyalties are to their foreign owners and multinational markets, not to Maine people. Federal law now prohibits any foreign national from making contributions or expenditures in connection with a candidate election. Importantly, this federal statute also bans contributions in state and local candidate elections, in addition to those in congressional and presidential races. Maine should expand this ban to include foreign-government controlled entities in state and local referendum campaigns. Voting Yes on 2 also makes an important statement about the need for broader reforms to reign in money in politics. Question 2 also calls on our congressional delegation to support a 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would fight corruption and reduce the influence of money in politics. This amendment is more important than ever."

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure.

Arguments

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Official arguments

No official arguments in opposition to Question 2 were published in the state's voter guide.

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Maine ballot measures

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through October 24, 2023. The deadline for the next scheduled reports was December 19, 2023.

Protect Maine Elections was the PAC registered to support this measure. The campaign reported $925,141 in total contributions and $906,989 in total expenditures.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$770,480.18	$154,661.41	$925,141.59	$752,327.86	$906,989.27
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$770,480.18	$154,661.41	$925,141.59	$752,327.86	$906,989.27

Support

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committees in support of the measure.

Committees in support of Question 2
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Protect Maine Elections	$770,480.18	$154,661.41	$925,141.59	$752,327.86	$906,989.27
Total	$770,480.18	$154,661.41	$925,141.59	$752,327.86	$906,989.27

Donors

The following were the top donors who contributed to the support committees.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
American Promise Inc.	$205,000.00	$83,457.60	$288,457.60
Piper Action Fund	$61,200.00	$6,482.41	$67,682.41
RepresentUS	$25,000.00	$28,608.12	$53,608.12
David R Peeler	$50,000.00	$0.00	$50,000.00
End Citizens United	$35,000.00	$0.00	$35,000.00

Methodology

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

Media editorials

See also: 2023 ballot measure media endorsements

Ballotpedia identified the following media editorial boards as taking positions on the question.

Ballotpedia lists the positions of media editorial boards that support or oppose ballot measures. This does not include opinion pieces from individuals or groups that do not represent the official position of a newspaper or media outlet. Ballotpedia includes editorials from newspapers and outlets based on circulation and readership, political coverage within a state, and length of publication. You can share media editorial board endorsements with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Support

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Opposition

• Bangor Daily News Editorial Board: "We are unconvinced that the proposal contained in Question 2 strikes the delicate balance needed with this issue and thus recommend a no vote. Gov. Janet Mills was right when she vetoed the underlying legislation, LD 1610, after registering constitutional concerns about previous versions of this proposal. As she alluded to, this version is actually worse than earlier legislative attempts. ... This proposal goes beyond targeting foreign governments, in a very expansive way. The words 'entities that they own, control, or influence' are very broad."
• Central Maine Editorial Board: "While there’s no doubt that corporate spending on campaigns distorts and corrupts our elections, that problem can’t be solved by arbitrarily choosing which companies can participate and which can’t, and it shouldn’t be addressed in any way that threatens the operation of a free press. Question 2, in our estimation, does both. That’s why the Editorial Board supports a no vote on Question 2 on the statewide ballot."
• Portland Press Herald Editorial Board: "We believe that no corporation should have that sort of influence over public policy, and that every effort should be made to get money out of politics. The Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case says otherwise, however, as does an FEC ruling on foreign spending on ballot questions. Until those are overturned or the Constitution is amended, any attempt to limit corporate contributions to elections will face an uphill battle in courts. And even if it were to be upheld, Question 2 would still be unfair. The 5% threshold for foreign-government ownership is low and would likely apply to companies whose foreign ownership has no real influence over day-to-day activities. It would exclude some Maine-based companies from contributing to ballot questions while allowing others based solely on an arbitrary number. And, of course, vast corporate spending on elections would continue unabated."

Polls

See also: 2023 ballot measure polls

Are you aware of a poll on this ballot measure that should be included below? You can share ballot measure polls, along with source links, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Maine Question 2, Prohibit Foreign Spending in Elections Initiative (2023)
Poll	Dates	Sample size	Margin of error	Support	Oppose	Undecided

University of New Hampshire	10/19/23-10/23/23	2750 LV	± 3.5%	75%	8%	17%
	Question: "If the 2023 Maine Referendum Election were held today, how would you vote on the following ballot questions Question 2: An Act to Prohibit Campaign Spending by Foreign Governments and Promote an Anticorruption Amendment to the United States Constitution"

Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters.

Background

FEC ruling regarding foreign spending on ballot measure campaigns

In July 2021, the Federal Elections Commission (the FEC) dismissed a complaint, in a 4-2 ruling, that challenged that Sandfire Resources, an Australian firm, illegally financed the opposition campaign of the Montana I-186 ballot initiative in 2018. The FEC ruling affirmed that foreign nationals, including individuals, corporations, and governments, could contribute to ballot measure campaigns.

The ruling stated that the FEC and the Federal Elections Campaign Act prohibit any foreign national from making a contribution to a federal, state, or local election and that an election is defined in the act as "a general, special, primary, or runoff election" as well as "a convention or caucus of a political party which has authority to nominate a candidate.” The ruling also stated that the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that the Federal Elections Campaign Act “regulates only candidate elections, not referenda or other issue-based ballot measures.” Therefore, foreign entities would be able to contribute to ballot measure campaigns.

2021 campaign activity from Hydro-Québec in Maine

In 2021, Question 1—an initiative that prohibited the construction of electric transmission lines defined as high-impact in the Upper Kennebec Region, including the NECEC, and required a two-thirds vote of each state legislative chamber to approve high-impact electric transmission line projects—was on the ballot for Maine voters. The measure was approved by voters by 59%-41%. There were three PACs that supported the initiative, and four PACs, including Hydro-Québec, that opposed the initiative.

On July 29, 2020, 25 current and former state legislators sent a letter to Quebec Premier François Legault and Hydro-Québec CEO Sophie Brochu regarding "Hydro-Quebec’s political campaign aimed at influencing the outcome of a citizen-initiated ballot measure this November." The legislators requested that Hydro-Québec cease campaign activities in Maine. The following is an excerpt from the letter:

“

Because Hydro-Quebec is a Crown Corporation, wholly owned by the Province of Quebec, the government and residents of Quebec have a direct financial interest in Hydro-Quebec’s profit-making enterprises. This stands in marked contrast with any private company based in Maine that may have foreign owners. In such cases, the residents of those foreign countries have no financial interest in the outcome of a Maine election. Hydro-Quebec provides billions of dollars annually to its sole shareholder, the Province of Quebec, which means that the residents of Quebec have a direct financial stake in the outcome of the CMP corridor referendum. ... If the shoe were on the other foot and Maine voters were directly connected with a campaign to overturn public opinion on a construction project in Quebec, we would hear protests from the people of Quebec. But the shoe is on our foot, and we are not comfortable with it.

”

Serge Abergel, the director of external relations for Hydro-Québec, responded to the letter, stating that Hydro-Québec should be allowed to provide information to voters after spending years to obtain permits. Abergel said, "So once you want to take that away, at least give us the right to give the facts when it comes to us. We don't view this as a loophole at all. We're compliant to the rules, and we're just trying here to give a straight story, so people can understand and make their own choices."

Maine legislation to prevent foreign contributions to ballot measure campaigns

In 2021, the Maine State Legislature passed LD 194, which was designed to prohibit contributions by foreign government-owned entities to influence ballot measures. The bill passed the Maine House of Representatives by 87-54 on June 14, 2021, and then passed the Maine State Senate by 23-11 on June 15, 2021.

On June 24, 2021, Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced that she vetoed the bill, saying that “entities with direct foreign investment employ thousands of Mainers,” and that “legislation that could bar these entities from any form of participation in a referendum is offensive to the democratic process, which depends on a free and unfettered exchange of ideas, information, and opinion.”

States that prohibit foreign spending on ballot measure campaigns

As of 2023, seven states—California, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington—prohibited foreign nationals from making contributions to ballot measure campaigns.

Cities that banned election spending by foreign governments or entities

As of 2023, two cities—Seattle, Washington, and San Jose, California—banned election spending by foreign-influenced entities. In 2020, the Seattle City Council banned corporations with any foreign investor holding at least 1% ownership, two or more holding at least 5% ownership, or a non-U.S. investor from making contributions to candidates or PACs. And in 2022, the San Jose City Council passed a campaign finance law which prohibited corporations from spending money in San Jose elections if they are foreign-influenced, defined as a company having more than 1% ownership by a single foreign national or more than 5% ownership by multiple foreign nationals.

Previously, St. Petersburg, Florida, also banned foreign-influenced entities from making contributions to political campaigns by passing a law in 2017 that banned corporations having more than 5% ownership by a single foreign national or more than 20% ownership by multiple foreign nationals from making political contributions. In 2021, SB 1890 was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis (R), which prohibited counties and municipalities from enacting spending or contribution limits that went beyond state limits.

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: 63,067 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

• Richard A. Bennett filed the ballot initiative, which was approved for signature gathering on October 27, 2021. The ballot initiative was allowed to circulate until April 27, 2023.
• On November 1, 2022, the Protect Maine Elections organization announced that it submitted 80,749 signatures to the Maine Secretary of State.
• On November 30, 2022, the secretary of state confirmed that the Protect Maine Elections campaign submitted 67,550 valid signatures, and certified the measure to the legislature.
• On April 11, 2023, the initiative was transferred to the clerk of the legislature by the secretary of state. The initiative was referred to as L.D. 1610 in the state legislature.
• On May 11, 2023, the Maine House of Representatives approved a joint order seeking clarity from a high court on whether or not initiatives that have been certified to the legislature were automatically sent to the November ballot after the state legislature adjourned.
• On June 9, 2023, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the state legislature may enact any ballot measures that have qualified for the November 7, 2023, ballot.
• On June 26, 2023, the House voted 73-53 to pass the initiative.
• On July 6, 2023, the Senate passed the initiative.
• On July 19, 2023, Gov. Janet Mills (D) vetoed the bill. She said, "While I strongly support and share the desire to find ways to prevent foreign influence in our elections, the language of this bill is too broad and would likely result in the unintended consequences of effectively silencing legitimate voices, including Maine-based businesses, in debates that would impact their interests."
• On July 25, the Maine State Legislature did not override Mills' veto of the initiative, which certified the initiative for the ballot.

Signature gathering cost

See also: Ballot measures cost per required signatures analysis

Sponsors of the measure hired Ballot Access Management to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $254,388.02 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 $4.03.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Maine

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Maine.

How to vote in Maine

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

2023 measures

• 2023 ballot measures
• Campaign finance on the ballot
• Federal constitutional issues on the ballot

Maine

• Maine ballot measures
• Maine ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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