An Act To Strengthen Maine's Election Laws by Requiring Photograph Identification for the Purpose of Voting
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0199
Committee Amendment CA_A_H385 (House)
Amends: 21-A MRSA §671, 21-A MRSA §671-A, 29-A MRSA §1410

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,A" to H.P. 176, L.D. 199, Bill, "An Act To 
Strengthen Maine's Election Laws by Requiring Photograph Identification for the Purpose 
of Voting" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Mandate preamble. This measure requires one or more local units of government 
to expand or modify activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local 
revenues but does not provide funding for at least 90% of those expenditures. Pursuant to 
the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 21, 2/3 of all of the members elected to 
each House have determined it necessary to enact this measure. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §671, sub-§l, as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §55, is 
filrther amended to read: 
1. Name announced; proof of identity. A voter who wishes to vote must state the 
voter's name and present proof of identity in the form of a photographic identification 
document and, upon request, state the voter's residence address to an election clerk~ who 
shall announce the name in a loud, clear voice. Photographic identification required by 
this subsection must be an official identification document or card issued by a state, the 
Federal Government or a college or university located in the State and must not be 
expired. Photographic identification required by this subsection must be used solely to 
verify the identity of the person who wishes to vote. If a person who wishes to vote does 
not present photographic identification, that person must be permitted to cast a 
provisional ballot as provided by section 67I-A. Before November 7,2012, the identity 
of a person who does not present photographic proof of identity but is known to an 
election worker at the voting place may be verified as provided in subsection I-A. 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §671, sub-§l-A is enacted to read: 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,4" to H.P. 176, L.D. 199 
I-A. Voter known to election worker; verification of identity. A voter who does 
not provide photographic identification on election day as required by subsection 1 and is 
known to an election worker at the voting place may be issued a ballot after completion 
and signing of an affidavit by the election worker. The affidavit must be in a form 
prescribed by the Secretary of State and must be written to indicate that the election 
worker can personally attest to the identity of the voter. The election worker may issue 
the voter a ballot after the election worker who can attest to the identity of the voter has 
signed the affidavit. For the purposes of this subsection, "election worker" includes a 
municipal clerk, registrar and election official. This subsection is repealed November 7, 
2012. 
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §671-A is enacted to read: 
§671-A. Provisional voting 
A person who has not provided photographic identification as required by section 
671, subsection 1 and has not had the person's identity verified by affidavit as provided in 
section 671, subsection I-A must be permitted to cast a provisional ballot as follows. 
1. How issued. In order to cast a provisional ballot under this section, a person must 
complete and sign a provisional ballot affidavit, swearing to or affirming that that person 
is the person that person claims to be on the incoming voting list. The provisional ballot 
affidavit must be on a form designed by the Secretary of State and must include, at a 
minimum, the person's name, address, party affiliation, if any, and reason that the person 
was not able to provide photographic proof of identity. 
2. 
Ballot and provisional envelope issued. As soon as the provisional ballot 
affidavit fonn under subsection 1 has been completed, the election clerk in charge of 
ballots shall give a provisional ballot and a provisional ballot envelope to the warden. The 
warden shall write a provisional ballot number on the affidavit fonn and the provisional 
ballot envelope and give the ballot and envelope to the voter. The warden also shall give 
the voter a notice about provisional voting, on a form designed by the Secretary of State, 
that includes the provisional ballot number assigned to the voter's ballot. The form must 
clearly state that the person who wishes to vote has 3 business days to provide the warden 
or election clerk photographic proof of identity as prescribed in section 671, subsection 1 
in order for the provisional ballot to be counted. 
3. Proceed to vote. After a voter marks the provisional ballot under subsection 2, 
the voter shall seal it in the provisional ballot envelope and return it to the warden. 
4. Provisional ballots segregated and logged. The warden shall place a provisional 
ballot envelope containing a provisional ballot completed under this section in a 
tamper-proof container until the identity of the person marking the ballot can be verified 
by photographic identification as required by section 671, subsection 1. The warden also 
shall complete a provisional ballot log, on a fonn provided by the Secretary of State, that 
indicates for each provisional ballot the name of the voter, the provisional ballot number 
and a notation of whether the provisional ballot was resolved and cast The sealed 
tamper-proof containers of provisional ballots that are not resolved must be returned to 
the municipal clerk after the polls are closed. along with all provisional ballot affidavits 
and the provisional ballot log form. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT if" to H.P. 176, L.D. 199 
5. Resolution and counting of provisional ballots. When a provisional ballot is 
cast under this section, the municipal clerk or registrar shall proceed as follows. 
A. If the identity of a person casting a provisional ballot under this section is verified 
upon presentation of acceptable photographic identification by the close of the polls 
on election day, the clerk or registrar shall designate on the provisional ballot log 
under subsection 4 that the provisional ballot was accepted. The warden shall remove 
the provisional ballot from the sealed provisional ballot envelope and place it into the 
ballot box or tabulator to be counted with the other ballots after the polls close. The 
election clerk in charge of the incoming voting list shall annotate the incoming voting 
list to indicate that the voter voted. 
B. If the identity of a person casting a provisional ballot under this section is verified 
upon presentation of acceptable photographic identification after the close of the polls 
on election day, but not later than the 3rd business day after the election, the clerk or 
registrar shall designate on the provisional ballot log under subsection 4 that the 
provisional ballot was accepted. The clerk or registrar, in the presence of one or more 
witnesses, shall remove the provisional ballot from the sealed provisional ballot 
envelope and place it into a ballot box in a manner that preserves the secrecy of the 
vote. After all accepted provisional ballots have been placed into the ballot box, the 
clerk or registrar shall remove and count the provisional ballots in the same manner 
as regular ballots. After the incoming voting list is unsealed following the election, 
the clerk or registrar shall annotate the list to add the names and addresses of the 
voters under this subsection, along with an indication that the voters voted. 
C. If a person casting a provisional ballot under this section has not presented 
photographic identification acceptable to verify the person's identity within 3 
business days after the election, the clerk or registrar shan write "rejected" on the 
provisional ballot envelope and return the unopened envelope to the tamper-proof 
container. The clerk or registrar shall update the provisional ballot log under 
subsection 4 to indicate the ballot was rejected. 
6. Report to Secretary of State. No later than 3 business days after an election, the 
clerk shall report the status of all provisional ballots of the municipality under this section 
to the Secretary of State by providing a copy of the provisional ballot log under 
subsection 4. In addition to annotating the provisional ballot log to indicate whether 
provisional ballots were accepted or rejected, the clerk shall update the municipality'S 
return of votes cast to include the votes cast by all provisional voters who presented 
acceptable photographic identification. 
7. Secretary of State to make status available. Within 20 days after an election, 
the Secretary of State shall make available on the Secretary of State's publicly accessible 
website the total number of provisional ballots under this section for that election, 
including the number of ballots that were counted and the number of ballots that were not 
counted. For a ballot that was not counted, the reason the ballot was not counted must be 
included. 
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §1410, sub-§10 is enacted to read: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/}" to H.P. 176, L.D. 199 
10. Identification cards for the purpose of voting. A person who submits an 
application for a nondriver identification card is not required to pay the fee required by 
subsection 2 if the person attests in the application that: 
A. 
The person does not have photographic identification acceptable for the 
verification of the person's identity for the purposes of voting as required by Title 
21-A, section 671, subsection 1; and 
B. The person is applying for a nondriver identification card solely for the purpose of 
voting.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment adds a mandate preamble and specifies the types of photographic 
identification that may be used to verify the identity of a voter. The amendment provides 
that a person who does not present photographic identification may cast a provisional 
ballot. 
The amendment establishes the process for provisional voting. 
Under this 
amendment, if the person can verify the person's identity to the warden or an election 
clerk within 3 business days of the election by presenting acceptable photographic 
identification, the ballot will be cast as a regular ballot. Through the general election of 
2012, a person who does not present acceptable photographic identification but is known 
to a municipal clerk, registrar or election official at the voting place may cast a regular 
ballot upon submission of an affidavit by the municipal clerk, registrar or election official 
attesting to the person's identity. Finally, this amendment requires the Secretary of State 
to provide, at no fee, nondriver identification cards to eligible persons who do not have 
another form of acceptable photographic identification to verify identity for the purpose 
of voting. 
fISCAL :\OTE REQUl~£D 
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(Se~~ttached) 
COMMITTEEAMENDMfNT 
Revised: 04114111 
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LD 199 
LR 108(02) 
An Act To Strengthen Maine's Election Laws by Requiring Photograph Identification for the Purpose 
of Voting 
Fiscal Note for Billas Amended by Committee Amendment '11" 
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - Federal Expenditures Fund 
State Mandates 
Required Activity 
State Mandate - Exempted 
Establishes a provisional voting process requiring election officials to track 
provisional ballots and provisional ballot affidavits, complete a provisional ballot 
log and report the status of all provisional ballots to the Secretary of State. 
Unit Affected 
Municipality 
Local Cost 
Moderate 
statewide 
Pursuant to the Mandate Preamble, the two-thirds vote of all members elected to each House exempts the state from 
the constitutional requirement to fund 90% ofthe additional costs. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This legislation requires voters to provide proof of identity with photograph identification documentation when 
voting. The legislation includes a provision to issue a free nondriver identification card to individuals who have never 
been issued a card and need one solely for the purpose of voting. Costs associated with issuing free identification 
cards, education and training would be covered by federal H~lp America Vote Act funds. Additional costs to the 
Department of Secretary of State associated with affidavits and forms are considered minor and can be absorbed 
within existing budgeted resources. 
LRO 1 08(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I