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LD1437 • 2025

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Specify the Qualifications of Electors in State and Local Elections

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Specify the Qualifications of Electors in State and Local Elections

Elections
Active

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Sponsor
Representative Billy Bob Faulkingham
Last action
2025-05-29
Official status
Reports Read On motion by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 261 Yeas 19 - Nays 15 - Excused 1 - Absent 0 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Specify the Qualifications of Electors in State and Local Elections

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Specify the Qualifications of Electors in State and Local Elections Sponsor: Representative Billy Bob Faulkingham Reference committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

What This Bill Does

  • RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Specify the Qualifications of Electors in State and Local Elections Sponsor: Representative Billy Bob Faulkingham Reference committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Filed

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR1356(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR1356(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 1437 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • H- ) 3VETERANS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Clerk of the House.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to H.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-29 Senate

    Reports Read On motion by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 261 Yeas 19 - Nays 15 - Excused 1 - Absent 0 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)

  2. 2025-05-28 House

    Reports READ . On motion of Representative SUPICA of Bangor, the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report was ACCEPTED . ROLL CALL NO. 221 (Yeas 75 - Nays 66 - Absent 10 - Excused 0) Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  3. 2025-05-23 Committee

    Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

  4. 2025-05-07 Committee

    Work Session Held

  5. 2025-05-07 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  6. 2025-04-08 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.

Official Summary Text

RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Specify the Qualifications of Electors in State and Local Elections
Sponsor:
Representative Billy Bob Faulkingham
Reference committee:
Veterans and Legal Affairs
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1437
H.P. 946 House of Representatives, April 3, 2025
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of
Maine to Specify the Qualifications of Electors in State and Local
Elections
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FAULKINGHAM of Winter Harbor.
Cosponsored by Senator STEWART of Aroostook and
Representatives: ARDELL of Monticello, BISHOP of Bucksport, MCINTYRE of Lowell,
PAUL of Winterport, PERKINS of Dover-Foxcroft, SMITH of Palermo, WHITE of Ellsworth,
Senator: HARRINGTON of York.

Page 1 - 132LR1356(01)
1Constitutional amendment. Resolved: Two thirds of each branch of the
2 Legislature concurring, that the following amendment to the Constitution of Maine be
3 proposed:
4Constitution, Art. II, §1 is amended to read:
5Section 1. Qualifications of electors; written ballot; military servicemen
6service members; students. Only a citizen of the United States may vote in a state,
7 county or municipal or other local election. Every citizen of the United States of the age
8 of 18 years and upwards, excepting persons under guardianship for reasons of mental
9 illness, having his or her residence established in this State, shall be an elector for Governor,
10 Senators and Representatives, and county, local or municipal office in the city, town or
11 plantation where his or her residence has been established, if he or she continues to reside
12 in this State; and the elections shall be by written ballot. But persons in the military, naval
13 or marine service of the United States, or this State, shall not be considered as having
14 obtained such established residence by being stationed in any garrison, barrack or military
15 place, in any city, town or plantation; nor shall the residence of a student at any seminary
16 of learning entitle the student to the right of suffrage in the city, town or plantation where
17 such seminary is established. No person, however, shall be deemed to have lost residence
18 by reason of the person's absence from the state in the military service of the United States,
19 or of this State.
20Indians. Every Indian, residing on tribal reservations and otherwise qualified, shall be
21 an elector in all county, state and national elections.
22Constitutional referendum procedure; form of question; effective date.
23Resolved: That the municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their
24 respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding
25 a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of November following the
26 passage of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment proposed in this
27 resolution by voting upon the following question:
28 "Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to permit only citizens
29 of the United States to vote in state, county or municipal or other local
30 elections?"
31 The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question
32 and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within the corresponding square
33 below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared
34 in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in
35 the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the
36 returns. If it appears that a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of the amendment,
37 the Governor shall proclaim that fact without delay and the amendment becomes part of
38 the Constitution of Maine on the date of the proclamation.
39Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: That the Secretary of State
40 shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of
41 this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.
Page 2 - 132LR1356(01)
1SUMMARY
2 This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to specify that only a
3 person who is a citizen of the United States may vote in a state, county or municipal or
4 other local election.
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