An Act To Ensure Integrity in the Voting Process
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1266
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: EDMONDS, PINGREE, MAYO, MITCHELL, WEBSTER
Amends: 21-A MRSA §505, 21-A MRSA §626, 21-A MRSA §753-B

Legislative Document 
No. 1266 
S.P.446 
In Senate, March 15, 2005 
An Act To Ensure Integrity in the Voting Process 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by President EDMONDS of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative PINGREE of North Haven and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: MAYO of Sagadahoc, MITCHELL of Kennebec, Representative: WEBSTER of 
Freeport. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 21·A MRSA §122, first" as amended by PL 2003, c. 584, 
§3, is further amended to read: 
A person may register as a voter by appearing before the 
registrar or the registrar's ag~nt if~t a voting place, proving 
that 
the 
person 
meets 
the 
qualifications 
of 
section 
111, 
subsections 1 to 3, 
and filing an application provided by the 
registrar containing the information required by section 152 or 
154, if applicable. 
Township residents may register as provided 
in section 156. 
Sec. 2. 21·A MRSA §122, suh·§4, as amended by PL 1995, c. 459, 
§14, is further amended to read: 
4. 
Election day registration. The registrar shall accept 
registrations of applicants 
who 
appear in person on election 
day. 
The registrar shall issue to each of these applicants a 
certificate entitling the applicant to be placed on the voting 
list at the voting place. 
Only one certificate may be issued to 
a 
person. 
An 
applicant whose 
address has 
changed since the 
applicant last voted must vote using the ballot or ballots for 
the 
new polling place, if applicable, 
on election day. 
~~e 
~.i.tl.£.a,r shall 
al~~illL_r~9istration of applicants under this 
subsection at every voting place. 
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §505. sub.§7·A. as enacted by PL 2001, c. 
415, §4 and affected by §5, is amended to read: 
7-A. 
Training. 
Attend a training session that is approved 
by the Secretary of State at least once eve:y 2 years in regard 
to the conduct of elections. 
The Secretary of State shall offer 
training sessions regionally at least once every 2 years at no 
fee. 
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~ 
municipality shall provide training biennially to all election 
officialsL---.l.l~iJl9.-tx~iJ)in_9_lJ:li~tj,-riaJ,_s __ p~-<2YLQed by t~ Secretary of 
State. 
A newlY- hir~Ji~J;,..l.Q!LQ_Ui~1---.!!lM~ceive training as 
reQuired by this subsection before that official works at an 
election: and 
Sec.4. 21·A MRSA §§609 and 610 are enacted to read: 
S609. 
Training 
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.. e(;L.Qy_t.l.iEL_Se..c...r:...e..t9...rLQ.t 
~te, a local official shall train every warden, ward clerk and 
8 
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~ining under this s~on may not perform the duties of a poll 
worker. 
S6l0. 
Additional ballots 
The Secretary of State shall ensure that additional ballots 
are available on election day for any polling place that reguests 
more ballots. 
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §626, sub-§l, as amended by PL 1997, c. 436, 
§88, is further amended to read: 
1. 
Opening time flezible. 
The polls must be opened no 
earlier than 6 a.m. and no later than 9 a.m. on election day; 
except that in municipalities with a population of less than 
T QQQ .5QQ, the polls must be opened no later than 10:00 a.m. on 
election day. 
The municipal officers of each municipality shall 
determine the time of opening the polls within these limits. 
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §753-B, sub-§9 is enacted to read: 
209.~o_iXlq_al.l6e_ute~Q.t~t.A.t"s. 
A reglltered voter mlll' 
reQuest in writing to the clerk for status as an ongoing absentee 
yoter. For a regiltered voter who requests status as an ongoing 
absentee voter under this subsection, the clerk must send an 
~sentee ballot for each supseQuent election or primary for which 
the voter is en~~ to vote. 
A voter who reQuests status ~ 
ongoing absentee voter under this subsection is not reQuired tQ 
~bmit a 
~arate reguest for an absentee ballot pursuant to 
subsection 1 for each election. 
Status as an ongoing absentee 
voter is terminated upon any of the following events: 
b. 
The wr~n reQuest of the voter; 
B. 
The~h or disgualification of the vo~er; 
C. 
The cancellation of the voter's registration record; or 
D. 
The return of a mailed absentee ballot as undeliverable. 
Sec. 7. Secretary of State to study ballot availability problems. 
The 
Secretary of 
State shall 
study problems with the 
supply of 
ballots and absentee ballots to various voting places in the last 
statewide 
and 
general 
elections 
and 
report 
to 
the 
Joint 
Standing Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs along with any 
recommended legislation no later than December 7, 
2005. 
After 
receipt and review of the report, the Joint Standing Committee OIl 
Legal and Veterans Affairs may report out a bill to the Second 
Regular Session of the 122nd Legislature. 
SUMMARY 
This bill: 
1. 
Requires the voting registrar of a municipality to allow 
for election day registration at every voting place; 
2. 
Requires that municipalities 
biennially using materials provided by 
all election officials and requires 
officials to receive the training before 
provide election training 
the Secretary of State to 
all newly hired election 
work13g an election; 
3. 
Requires the training of poll workers before the poll 
workers may work at the polls; 
4. 
Changes 
population of less 
a.m. instead of 
of less than 500; 
the 
law 
that 
than 4,000 to 
a.m. to only 
allows 
municipalities 
with 
a 
open their polls no later than 
municipalities with populations 
5. 
Allows registered voters to request ongoing absentee 
ballot status in which they would automatically receive absentee 
ballots without having to request one for each election; and 
6. 
Directs the Secretary of State to ensure that additional 
ballots are available for voting places and to study the problems 
with the availability of ballots and absentee ballots at voting 
places over the last 4 statewide and general elections and to 
report back to the Legislature with findings and any recommended 
legislation.