An Act To Amend the Maine Clean Election Act To Equalize the Qualifying Period for All Candidates and To Increase the ~umber of Required Contributions for Candidates to the Legislature Reference to' the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0584
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: TRINW ARD, SULLIVAN, BOLAND, CAREY, RUSSELL, TUTTLE, VALENTINO
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1125

Legislative Document 
No. 584 
H.P.422 
House of Representatives, February 17, 2009 
An Act To Amend the Maine Clean Election Act To Equalize the 
Qualifying Period for All Candidates and To Increase the ~umber 
of Required Contributions for Candidates to the Legislature 
Reference to' the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative TRINW ARD of Waterville. 
Cosponsored by Senator SULLIVAN of York and 
'I11~d 111· 7J?dC~~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BOLAND of Sanford, CAREY of Lewiston, CORNELL du HOUX of 
Bmnswick, RUSSELL of Portland, TUTTLE of Sanford, VALENTINO of Sa co. 
Primed 1111 n:cych:J ptlpcr 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §lp2, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2001, c. 465, §3, IS 
further amended to read: 
8. Qualifying period. "Qualifying period" means the following .. 
A. 
For a gubernatorial participating candidate, the qualifying period begins 
November 1 st immediately preceding the election year and ends at 5 :00 p.m .. on April 
15th of the election year unless the candidate is unenrolled. in which case the neriod 
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ends at 5:00 p.m. on June 2nd of the election year. 
B. For State Senate or State House of Representatives participating candidates, the 
qualifying period begins January 1st of the election year and ends at 5:00 p.m. on 
April 15th of that election year unless the candidate is unenrolled, in \vhich case the 
period ends at 5:00 p.m. on June 2nd of the election year. 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§3,~, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is 
amended to read: 
B. For a candidate for the State Senate, at least -l-:W 195 verified registered voters 
from the candidate's electoral. division must support the candidacy by providing a 
qualifying contribution to that candidate; or 
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA§1125, sub-§3, ~C, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is 
amended to read: 
C. For a candidate for the State House of Representatives, at least ,w 65 verified 
registered voters from the candidate's electoral division must support the candidacy 
by providing a qualifying contribution to that candidate. 
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§10, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. B,§6, 
is further amended to read: 
10. Candidate not enrolled in a party. An unenrolled candidate who submits the 
required number of qualifying contributions and other required documents under 
subsection 4 by 5:00 p.m. on April 15th preceding the primary election and who is 
certified is eligible for revenues from the fund in the same amounts and at the same time 
as an uncontested primary election candidate and a general election candidate as specified 
in· subsections 7 and 8. Otherwise, an unenrolled candidate must submit the required 
number of qualifying contributions and the other required documents under subsection 4 
by 5:00 p.m. on June 2nd preceding the general election. If certified, the candidate is 
eligible for revenues from the fund in the same amounts as a general election candidate, 
as specified ill subsection 8.· Revenues for the general election must be distributed to the 
candidate no later than 3 days after certification. 
SUMMARY 
This bill egualizes the qualifying period for unenrolledcandidates. and party 
candidates under the Maine Clean Election Act by requiring all participating candidates 
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to qualify by April 15th of the election year. The bill also increases by 30% the number 
of qualifying contributions a Clean Election Act candidate for the State Senate or State 
House of Representatives must obtain.