An Act To Facilitate Voting by Unifonned Service and Overseas Voters
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1579
Committee Amendment CA_A_H689 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" H" to H.P. 1117, L.D. 1579, Bill, "An Act To 
Facilitate Voting by Unifonned Service and Overseas Voters" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the title and before the enacting clause the 
following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, changes to current law are necessary to ensure that uniformed service and' 
overseas voters are able to pal1icipate in elections; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public .peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,' 
Amend the bill in section 9 in §783 .by striking out all of subsection 5 and inserting 
the following: 
'5. Electronic receipt of absentee ballots. Authorizing the electronic receipt of an 
image of voted absentee ballots transmitted bye-mail or fax from uniformed service 
voters or overseas voters. 
The Secretary of State shall adopt rules to administer the central issuance and 
processing of absentee ballots, including rules that provide for the examination, counting 
and storage of ballots in the same manner as regular absentee ballots. Rules adopted in, 
accordance with this section are routine technical rules as described by Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 9 the following: 
'Sec. 10. Report. No later than March 1,20 I I, the Secretary of State shall submit 
a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over voting 
matters regarding the central issuance and processing of absentee ballots for uniformed 
service and overseas voters including the provisions adopted by rule to provide for 
Page I - 124LR2449(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMIlTEE AMENDMENT 'R " 
to H.P. 1117, L.D. 1579 
examination, counting and storage of those ballots_ The joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over voting matters may submit a bill to the First Regular 
Session of the 125th Legislature. 
Sec. 11. Application. This Act does not apply to the primary election scheduled to 
occur in June 20 I 0.' 
Amend the bill by adding before the summary the following: 
'Emergency clause. 
[n view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved except as otherwise indicated.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment clarifies a provision in the bill that allows the Secretary of State to 
receive absentee ballots for uniformed service and overseas voters bye-mail or fax. It 
requires the Secretary of State to adopt rules regarding the central issuance and 
processing of absentee ballots for uniformed service and overseas voters to ensure the 
ballots are examined, counted and stored in the same manner as regular absentee ballots. 
The amendment requires the Secretary of State to issue a report on the central issuance 
and processing of absentee ballots for uniformed service and overseas voters to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over voting matters by March 
1, 2011. The amendment also specifies that the bill, as amended by this amendment, does 
not apply to the primary election scheduled tb occur in June 2010, and adds an emergency 
preamble and clause to the bill. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See Attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 02/261 I 0 *ac:.. 
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LD 1579 
LR 2449(02) 
An Act To Facilitate Voting by Uniformed Service and Overseas Voters 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "Il" 
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - Federal Expenditures Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This legislation incorporates provisions of the federal MOVE Act which was passed as part of the National Defense 
Authorization Act. As a result of that federal legislation, states must provide an electronic process for transmitting 
and accepting absentee ballots of uniformed service and overseas voters. The Department of Secretary of State 
expects to use the existing Accessible Voting Solution system to implement this provision. The department expects 
that it will need to hire short-term temporary employees to issue the ballot requests. A determination of these costs 
has not been made at this time. The depaJ1ment will use existing federal Help America Vote Act funds, and it is 
believed that adequate funds exist in this account to cover all implementation costs of this legislation. 
LR2449(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I