An Act To Amend Certain Laws Governing Elections
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA  128, sub-  1,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 453,  20, is further amended to read:
(1) A published obituary may be used if it contains the name of the registered voter along with the date and place of death of that voter.
(2) A notice from an immediate family member of the registered voter may be used if it contains the name of the voter along with the date and place of death of that voter and is signed by the immediate family member. The Secretary of State shall design a form to be used for this purpose;
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA  363, first  ,  as amended by PL 1993, c. 447,  3, is further amended to read:
The meeting of a political committee as required by sections 371, 373, 374-A, 381, 382 and 393 is governed by the following provisions.
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA  363, sub-  4,  as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161,  6, is amended to read:
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA  365, first  ,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 510, Pt. A,  13, is further amended to read:
The political committee that has jurisdiction over the choice of a candidate for nomination or a nominee to fill a vacancy under sections 371, 373, 374-A, 381 and 382 is as follows.
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA  367,  as amended by PL 2015, c. 447,  10, is further amended to read:
  367.  Candidate withdrawal
A candidate who wishes to withdraw from an elective race shall notify the Secretary of State in writing of the candidate's intent to withdraw. This notice must be signed by the candidate. If the reason for the withdrawal is catastrophic illness, condition or injury, the procedures set forth in section 374-A, subsection 1, paragraph B must be complied with if the candidate is to be replaced.
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA  371,  as amended by PL 2015, c. 447,  11, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
  371.   Primary election candidates; vacancy
Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA  372,  as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161,  6, is repealed.
Sec. 8. 21-A MRSA  373,  as amended by PL 2001, c. 310,  23, is repealed.
Sec. 9. 21-A MRSA  374-A,  as amended by PL 2015, c. 447,    12 and 13, is further amended to read:
  374-A.   Withdrawal of candidates for certain state offices General election candidates; vacancy
Sec. 10. 21-A MRSA  374-B  is enacted to read:
  374-B.   Special election candidates
If a candidate for an office on a special election ballot dies or withdraws for any reason, the candidate   s name will not be removed from the ballot. The Secretary of State shall immediately prepare and distribute to the local election officials in the candidate   s electoral district a notice informing voters that the candidate has died or has withdrawn and that a vote for that candidate will not be counted. The notice must be distributed with all absentee ballots requested after the notice is received by the local election officials and, on election day, must be posted outside the guardrail enclosure in accordance with section 651, subsection 2 and in each voting booth. Notice that the candidate has died or has withdrawn must also be posted on the Secretary of State's publicly accessible website.
Sec. 11. 21-A MRSA  376,  as amended by PL 2015, c. 447,  15, is further amended to read:
  376.  Production of new ballots