Maine Repeal State Biennial Budget Referendum (2025)

Maine Repeal State Biennial Budget Referendum
Election date November 4, 2025
Topic Revenue allocation
Status Cleared for signature gathering
Type Referendum	Origin Citizens

The Maine Repeal State Biennial Budget Referendum is not on the ballot in Maine as a veto referendum on November 4, 2025.

The veto referendum would have repealed the state biennial budget for 2026 and 2027.

Text of the measure

Ballot title

The official ballot title is as follows:

“

“Do you want to stop most state government operations and programs, including new and ongoing state funding for cities, towns, and schools, by rejecting the state's two-year budget?”

”

Full text

The full text of the ballot measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

Process in Maine

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Maine

A veto referendum is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law. This type of ballot measure is also called statute referendum, popular referendum, people's veto, or citizen's veto. There are 23 states that allow citizens to initiate veto referendums.

In Maine, the number of signatures required for a veto referendum is equal to 10% of the total votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial election prior to the filing of such petition. Signatures for veto referendums are due 90 days following the final adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

The requirements to get a veto referendum certified for the 2025 ballot:

• Signatures: 67,682 valid signatures required
• Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures is 90 days after the after the legislave session adjourns.

Stages of this veto referendum

The following is the timeline of the referendum:

• March 21, 2025: The biennial state budget was signed by the governor as H.P. 377 - L.D. 609.
• March 25, 2025: State Rep. Gary Drinkwater (R-27) filed the referendum petition with the office of the secretary of state.
• April 8, 2025: Secretary of State Shenna Bellows issued the ballot title for the referendum.
• April 10, 2025: The veto referendum was cleared to begin circulating to gather signatures. The deadline to submit signatures is June 18, 2025.
• June 17, 2025: Rep. Drinkwater announced that the referendum would be placed on the 2025 ballot as the campaign did not ahieve the required number of signatures.

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

2025 measures

• 2025 ballot measures
• Revenue allocation 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

• Current Citizen Initiatives and People’s Vetoes
• 2026-2027 Biennial Budget

Footnotes

2025 ballot measures

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