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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 175
H.P. 108 House of Representatives, January 14, 2025
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of
Maine to Ensure That Only Citizens of the United States May
Participate in Elections
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative LIBBY of Auburn.
Page 1 - 132LR0439(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. Every Only a citizen of the United States of the age of 18
7 years and upwards, excepting persons under guardianship for reasons of mental illness,
8 having his or her residence established in this State, shall be an elector for Governor,
9 Senators and Representatives, and in any election in the city, town or plantation where his
10 or her residence has been established, if he or she continues to reside in this State; and the
11 elections shall be by written ballot. But persons in the military, naval or marine service of
12 the United States, or this State, shall not be considered as having obtained such established
13 residence by being stationed in any garrison, barrack or military place, in any city, town or
14 plantation; nor shall the residence of a student at any seminary of learning entitle the student
15 to the right of suffrage in the city, town or plantation where such seminary is established.
16 No person, however, shall be deemed to have lost residence by reason of the person's
17 absence from the state in the military service of the United States, or of this State.
18Indians. Every Indian, residing on tribal reservations and otherwise qualified, shall
19 be an elector in all county, state and national elections.
20Constitutional referendum procedure; form of question; effective date.
21Resolved: That the municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their
22 respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding
23 a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of November following the
24 passage of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment proposed in this
25 resolution by voting upon the following question:
26 "Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to specify that only
27 citizens of the United States who are 18 years of age or older and who are
28 residents of this State are eligible to vote for Governor, Senators and
29 Representatives and in any election in the city, town or plantation where
30 these citizens reside, except for persons under guardianship for reasons of
31 mental illness?"
32 The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question
33 and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within the corresponding square
34 below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared
35 in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in
36 the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the
37 returns. If it appears that a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of the amendment,
38 the Governor shall proclaim that fact without delay and the amendment becomes part of
39 the Constitution of Maine on the date of the proclamation.
40Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: That the Secretary of State
41 shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of
42 this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.
Page 2 - 132LR0439(01)
1SUMMARY
2 This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to specify that only
3 citizens of the United States who are 18 years of age or older and who are residents of this
4 State are eligible to vote for Governor, Senators and Representatives and in any election in
5 the city, town or plantation where those citizens reside, except for persons under
6 guardianship for reasons of mental illness.
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