130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2021
Legislative Document No. 580
H.P. 423 House of Representatives, February 24, 2021
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of
Maine Regarding Early Voting
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 22, 2021. Referred to the Committee on
Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MORIARTY of Cumberland.
Printed on recycled paper
 1 Constitutional amendment. Resolved: Two thirds of each branch of the
2 Legislature concurring, that the following amendment to the Constitution of Maine be
3 proposed:
4 Constitution, Art. II, §4 is amended to read:
5 Section 4. Time of state election; early voting; absentee voting. The election
6 of Senators and Representatives shall be on the Tuesday following the first Monday of
7 November biennially forever and the election of Governor shall be on the Tuesday
8 following the first Monday of November every 4 years. The Legislature by proper
9 enactment may authorize a process by which municipalities may conduct early voting by
10 allowing voters to vote in the same manner as on election day during a prescribed period
11 immediately preceding an election. The Legislature under by proper enactment shall
12 authorize and provide for voting by absentee ballot by citizens of the State absent therefrom
13 in the Armed Forces of the United States or of this State and for voting by absentee ballot
14 by other citizens absent or physically incapacitated for any reasons deemed sufficient.
15 Constitutional referendum procedure; form of question; effective date.
16 Resolved: That the municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their
17 respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding
18 a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of November following the
19 passage of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment proposed in this
20 resolution by voting upon the following question:
21 "Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to allow the Legislature
22 to authorize a process by which a municipality may conduct early voting
23 in the same manner as on election day during a period immediately
24 preceding an election?"
25 The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question
26 and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within the corresponding square
27 below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared
28 in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in
29 the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the
30 returns. If it appears that a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of the amendment,
31 the Governor shall proclaim that fact without delay and the amendment becomes part of
32 the Constitution of Maine on the date of the proclamation.
33 Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: That the Secretary of State
34 shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of
35 this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.
36 SUMMARY
37 This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to allow the Legislature
38 to authorize a process by which municipalities may conduct early voting by allowing voters
39 to vote in the same manner as on election day during a period immediately preceding an
40 election and to allow absentee voting for any sufficient reason.
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