An Act to Promote Voter Registration for Students in Maine's High Schools

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 734
H.P. 476 House of Representatives, February 25, 2025
An Act to Promote Voter Registration for Students in Maine's High
Schools
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MCCABE of Lewiston.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ABDI of Lewiston, CLOUTIER of Lewiston, DODGE of
Belfast, JULIA of Waterville, MACIAS of Topsham, SATO of Gorham, SHAGOURY of
Hallowell, WARREN of Scarborough.

Page 1 - 132LR1240(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4017 is enacted to read:
3§4017. Voter registration; secondary schools
4 Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year and annually thereafter, a secondary school
5 shall organize and facilitate voter education and registration activities, including, but not
6 limited to, a voter registration drive in accordance with this section.
71. Voter registration drive coordinator. A secondary school shall designate a school
8 employee as a voter registration drive coordinator or invite a 3rd party, including, but not
9 limited to, an outside organization or a town clerk, to serve as a voter registration drive
10 coordinator that is responsible for organizing school voter education and voter registration
11 activities in accordance with this subsection.
12 A. The secondary school shall notify the Secretary of State of the name and title of the
13 person designated as a voter registration drive coordinator and update this information
14 annually, if necessary.
15 B. The voter registration drive coordinator shall coordinate the distribution and
16 collection of voter registration applications issued by the Secretary of State and shall
17 deliver completed voter registration applications to the appropriate town clerk in the
18 municipality in which the registered voter resides or mail or deliver completed voter
19 registration applications to the Secretary of State.
20 C. The voter registration drive coordinator shall deliver or mail the completed voter
21 registration applications within 5 days of the conclusion of the school voter registration
22 drive and before the close of business on the 21st day before election day in accordance
23 with Title 21-A, section 121-A.
242. Timing; student eligibility. Secondary school voter education and registration
25 activities may take place during social studies class periods, homeroom periods or
26 assemblies. A student must be 16 years of age or older to participate in a school voter
27 registration drive.
283. Voter registration applications; availability. Voter registration applications for
29 eligible students must be made available in both online and paper registration formats.
30 Prior to and following a voter registration drive, a secondary school shall keep voter
31 registration applications and information about voter eligibility in a location easily
32 accessible to students.
334. Voter eligibility information. A voter registration drive organized in accordance
34 with this section must have information about voter eligibility available to students at the
35 time of the voter registration drive.
36SUMMARY
37 This bill requires secondary schools to annually organize and facilitate voter education
38 and registration activities beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. A secondary school
39 must designate a school employee or a 3rd party as a voter registration drive coordinator
40 who will be responsible for organizing the activities. The voter registration drive
41 coordinator must coordinate the distribution and collection of voter registration
42 applications from the Secretary of State and deliver or mail completed voter registration
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Page 2 - 132LR1240(01)
43 applications to the appropriate town clerk or to the Secretary of State within 5 days of the
44 conclusion of the drive and no later than the close of business on the 21st day before
45 election day. The secondary school must notify the Secretary of State of the name and title
46 of the voter registration drive coordinator. The bill also requires that voter education and
47 registration activities be offered during social studies classes, homerooms or assemblies
48 and that a student must be at least 16 years of age to participate in a voter registration drive.
49 Voter registration applications must be offered in both online and paper registration
50 formats, and a voter registration drive must have information about voter eligibility
51 available to students at the time of the drive. Prior to and following a voter registration
52 drive, a secondary school must keep voter registration applications and information about
53 voter eligibility in a location easily accessible to students.
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