An Act To Require the Secretary of State To Verify Voter Signatures
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1000
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: CHIPMAN, BEAULIEU, CROCKETT, DAMON, FOSSEL, LONGSTAFF, RUSSELL, TRAHAN
Amends: 21-A MRSA §196-A, 21-A MRSA §335, 21-A MRSA §354

Legislative Document 
No. 1000 
H.P. 736 
House of Representatives, March 10, 2011 
An Act To Require the Secretary of State To Verify Voter 
Signatures 
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CHIPMAN of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BEAULIEU of Auburn, CROCKETT of Bethel, DAMON of 
Bangor, FOSSEL of Alna, LONGSTAFF of Waterville, RUSSELL of Portland, Senator: 
TRAHAN of Lincoln. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §196-A, sub-§1, ¶I is enacted to read: 
I.  The Secretary of State and registrars may use the central voter registration system 
to verify signatures for primary petitions, nomination petitions, statewide direct 
initiatives of legislation and people's veto referenda. 
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §335, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, is amended 
to read: 
3.  How signed.  The voter must personally sign his the voter's name in such a 
manner as to satisfy the registrar of his municipality Secretary of State that he the voter is 
a registered voter and enrolled in the party named on the petition.  Either the voter or the 
circulator of the petition must print the voter's name. 
Sec. 3.  21-A MRSA §335, sub-§7, ¶B, as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §48, is 
further amended to read: 
B.  The registrar, or clerk at the request or upon the absence of the registrar, of each 
municipality concerned Secretary of State shall certify which names on a petition 
appear in the central voter registration system as registered and enrolled voters in that 
a municipality and may not certify any names that do not satisfy subsection 3. 
Sec. 4.  21-A MRSA §354, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, is amended 
to read: 
3.  How signed.  The voter must personally sign his the voter's name in such a 
manner as to satisfy the registrar of his municipality Secretary of State that he the voter is 
a registered voter.  Either the voter or the circulator of the petition must print the voter's 
name. 
Sec. 5.  21-A MRSA §354, sub-§7, ¶B, as amended by PL 1999, c. 264, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
B.  Petitions must be delivered to the registrar, or clerk at the request or upon the 
absence of the registrar, Secretary of State for certification by 5 p.m. on May 25th in 
the election year in which the petitions are to be used, except that petitions for a slate 
of candidates for the office of presidential elector must be delivered for certification 
by 5 p.m. on August 8th in the election year in which the petitions are to be used. 
Sec. 6.  21-A MRSA §354, sub-§7, ¶C, as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §50, is 
further amended to read: 
C.  The registrar, or clerk at the request or upon the absence of the registrar, of each 
municipality concerned Secretary of State shall certify which names on a petition 
appear in the central voter registration system as registered voters in that a 
municipality and may not certify any names that do not satisfy subsection 3. 
Sec. 7.  Fund central signature verification within current budget.  The 
Secretary of State shall establish a system to centralize voter signature verification.  The 
Secretary of State shall establish the system within existing budgeted resources, except 
that the Secretary of State may seek additional grant funding. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires the Secretary of State rather than the registrars to verify signatures 
on petitions.  The Secretary of State is required to verify the signatures on primary 
petitions, nomination petitions, citizen initiatives and people's veto referenda.  The 
Secretary of State is required to fund the system of centralized voter signature verification 
within existing budgeted resources, although the Secretary of State may seek outside 
grant funding.