An Act To Assist Municipal Clerks by Providing Adequate Time To Register Voters
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0203
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: KNIGHT, DAVIS, THOMAS, COURTNEY, BICKFORD, BURNS, COTTA, FARNHAM, TRAHAN
Amends: 21-A MRSA §121, 21-A MRSA §122, 21-A MRSA §156

Legislative Document 
No. 203 
H.P. 180 
House of Representatives, January 27, 2011 
An Act To Assist Municipal Clerks by Providing Adequate Time To 
Register Voters 
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative KNIGHT of Livermore Falls. 
Cosponsored by Representative DAVIS of Sangerville, Senator THOMAS of Somerset, 
Senator COURTNEY of York and Representatives: BICKFORD of Auburn, BURNS of 
Whiting, COTTA of China, Senators: FARNHAM of Penobscot, TRAHAN of Lincoln. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §121, sub-§1-A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §12, is 
further amended to read: 
1-A.  Identification and proof.  Registration applications taken by outside agencies 
must be transferred to the Secretary of State within 5 days of receipt.  An applicant who 
attempts to register within 30 days of an election must be advised that the registrar might 
not receive the application before that election, but that the applicant may register in 
person on or before or on election day the Tuesday preceding the election for which the 
person is registering to vote. 
Registration applications received by the Secretary of State from outside agencies 30 days 
or more before an election must be transferred to the appropriate registrar's office within 
business days of receipt.  Registration applications received by the Secretary of State 
from outside agencies less than 30 days before an election must be transferred to the 
appropriate registrar's office within 5 business days of receipt.  Registration applications 
by mail or by a 3rd person must be received in the registrar's office by the close of 
business on the 21st day before election day in order for persons' names to appear on the 
incoming voting list for that election.  The 20-day period before the election is the closed 
period for outside registrations.  The registrar shall send the notice required by section 
to all voters whose applications were received by mail or a 3rd person by the 21st 
day before election day no later than the 18th day before election day. 
A person who registers during the 20 days before election day or on election day shall 
register in person and show proof of identity and residency.  If satisfactory proof of 
identity and residency can not be provided to the registrar or deputy, the person's name is 
entered into the central voter registration system and placed on the incoming voting list 
and the person casts a challenged ballot. 
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §122, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §16, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 3.  21-A MRSA §122, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2007, c. 515, §3, is further 
amended to read: 
5.  Alternative registration schedule for absentee voters.  If the clerk receives a 
properly completed absentee ballot application that is signed by a person who is not a 
registered voter in the municipality, a presumption of the person's qualification as a voter 
is established.  The clerk shall send an absentee ballot to the voter at the address 
indicated, along with a voter registration application under section 152.  The completed 
registration application must be returned to the clerk by the close of the polls on election 
day or before the Tuesday preceding the election for which the person is registering to 
vote in order for the ballot to be counted and may not be sealed with the voted absentee 
ballot.  If the application is received during the closed period and the registrar is not 
satisfied as to the person's qualification as a voter, the registrar shall follow the 
requirements of section 121, subsection 1-A to place the person's name on the incoming 
voting list and challenge the absentee ballot.  An application by telephone under section 
753-A, subsection 4 or an application by e-mail under section 753-A, subsection 6 does 
not establish a presumption of qualification under this section and the requestor must 
submit a properly completed voter registration application before the clerk may issue an 
absentee ballot. 
Sec. 4.  21-A MRSA §122, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §18, is 
further amended to read: 
6.  Schedule for acceptance of registrations.  Except as provided in paragraph A, 
the registrar shall accept registrations on any business day or other day that the clerk's 
office is open.  The names and other information from the voter registration applications 
of any persons registering on or before the Tuesday preceding the election for which the 
person is registering to vote must be entered into the central voter registration system and 
must be placed on the incoming voting list. 
A.  The registrar may accept only the registrations of applicants who appear in person 
as follows: 
(1)  In a municipality with a population of 2,500 or fewer, on the last business 
day that the clerk's office is open on or before the Tuesday preceding election day 
during the hours that the clerk's office is open; 
(2)  In a municipality with a population of more than 2,500, on the last 5 business 
days that the clerk's office is open on or before the Tuesday preceding election 
day during the hours that the clerk's office is open and for 2 hours in the evening 
between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on at least one of these days; and 
(3)  The names of voters registering during these periods must be recorded as 
provided under subsection 7. 
Sec. 5.  21-A MRSA §122, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2003, c. 395, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
9.  Regulation of registration monitors.  Anyone who wishes to monitor the names 
and addresses of persons who are registering at the registrar's office or the clerk's office 
shall inform the registrar or clerk of that intent.  Anyone who wishes to monitor the 
names and addresses of persons who are registering at the polling place shall inform the 
registrar or clerk of that intent by submitting a written, signed statement containing the 
proposed monitor's name, address and intent.  The registrar or clerk may designate a place 
where a person monitoring registrations may stand.  The registrar or clerk shall then 
announce the name and address of individuals registering to vote in a loud and clear 
voice.  A person monitoring registrations shall direct any questions the person has to the 
registrar or clerk.  These questions must be limited to information pertinent to the 
qualifications of an individual to register.  A person monitoring registrations may not ask 
questions of individuals waiting to register concerning their eligibility to vote.  A polling 
place registration monitor may not handle or inspect registration cards, files or other 
materials used by the registrar or clerk except as provided in section 22.  A monitor may 
not inhibit the work of the registrar or clerk.  If the work of a registrar or clerk appears to 
be inhibited, the warden registrar or clerk may request a reduction in the number of 
monitors present in the polling place.  A registrar or clerk may require a person 
monitoring registrations who violates the provisions of this subsection to leave the 
building. 
Sec. 6.  21-A MRSA §156, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2005, c. 568, §7, is further 
amended to read: 
1.  Registration and enrollment.  A township resident who lives in a township for 
which the county commissioners have not established a voting place as provided in 
section 632 may register and enroll in any municipality within the applicant's 
representative district or, if the applicant lives in a portion of a township not easily 
accessible to a municipality within the representative district, the township resident may 
register and enroll in a more convenient municipality within or outside the county.  The 
township resident may register and enroll on election day or before the Tuesday 
preceding the election for which the person is registering to vote.  The registrar shall  
designate the applicant as a township voter with the letter "T" in the central voter 
registration system and on the incoming voting list. 
SUMMARY 
Current law authorizes citizens of the State to register to vote on election day.  This 
bill repeals that provision and instead requires that citizens of the State register to vote no 
later than the Tuesday preceding the election in order to vote in that election.