An Act To Specify the Political Party of Contributors of Qualifying Contributions and To Require a Candidate Funded under the Maine Clean Election Act To Receive a Certain Level of Support in Order To Receive Public Funding in the Future
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1272
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: PERRY, DUNLAP, THOMAS, DA VIS, GAGNON, SA WYER
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1125

Legislative Document 
No. 1272 
H.P.944 
House of Representati ves, March 11, 2003 
An Act To Specify the Political Party of Contributors of Qualifying 
Contributions and To Require a Candidate Funded under the 
Maine Clean Election Act To Receive a Certain Level of Support in 
Order To Receive Public Funding in the Future 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative PERRY of Bangor. 
7J1~ 
'frJ. 7l?d£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: DUNLAP of Old Town, THOMAS of Orono, Senators: 
DA VIS of Piscataquis, GAGNON of Kennebec, SA WYER of Penobscot. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
465, §4, is further amended to read: 
3. 
Qualifyinq contributions. 
Participating candidates must 
obtain qualifying contributions during the qualifying period as 
follows: 
A. 
For a gubernatorial candidate, at least 2,500 verified 
registered voters of this State who are enrolled in the 
candidate's political party must support the candidacy by 
providing a qualifying contribution to that candidate; 
B. 
For a 
candidate for the State Senate, at least 150 
verified registered voters from the candidate's electoral 
division who are enrolled in the candidate's political party 
must 
support 
the 
candidacy 
by 
providing 
a 
qualifying 
contribution to that candidate; 9F 
C. 
For a candidate for the State House of Representatives, 
at least 50 verified registered voters from the candidate's 
electoral division 
who 
are 
enrolled in the 
candidate's 
political party must support the candidacy by providing a 
qualifying contribution to that candidateT~ 
D. 
For 
a 
candidate who is not enrolled in a 
<;{ualified 
political party, 
at least 5,000 <;{ualifying contributions 
must be raised for 
a gubernatorial candidate. 
for 
a 
State 
Senate 
candidate 
and 
for 
a 
State 
House 
of 
Representatives candidate. 
A payment, gift or anything of value may not be given in exchange 
for a qualifying contribution. 
A candidate may pay the fee for a 
money 
order 
in 
the 
amount 
of 
$5, 
which 
is 
a 
qualifying 
contribution, 
as 
long 
as 
the 
donor 
making 
the 
qualifying 
contribution pays the $5 amount reflected on the money order. 
Any money order fees paid by a participating candidate must be 
paid 
for 
with 
seed 
money 
and 
reported 
in 
accordance 
with 
commission rules. 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§15 is enacted to read: 
15. 
Certain prior candidates ineligible. 
Notwithstanding 
any other provision of this chapter. a candidate is ineligible to 
receive revenues from the fund if: 
A. 
That candidate received revenues from the fund in a 
prior election: 
• 
B. 
That candidate is a candidate for the same office for 
which 
the 
candidate 
received 
the 
revenue 
described 
in 
paragraph A: and 
C. 
In the prior election described in paragraph At 
the 
candidate received less than 15% of the total votes cast for 
that office. 
SUMMARY 
Current 
law 
requires 
that 
a 
candidate 
intending 
to 
participate as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate obtain a 
specified number of qualifying contributions. 
This bill requires 
that those qualifying contributions be provided by registered 
voters who are enrolled as members of the candidate's political 
party. 
The bill also establishes minimum numbers of qualifying 
contributions necessary for candidates who are not enrolled in a 
qualified political party. 
This bill also prohibits a person from receiving Maine Clean 
Election Act revenue if the person received such revenue when a 
candidate for the same office in a prior election and the person 
failed to receive at least 15'\, of the total votes cast for that 
office in the prior election.