Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0329
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: SIROCKI, COTTA, O'CONNOR, PARKER, SANDERSON

Legislative Document 
No. 329 
H.P. 262 
House of Representatives, February 7, 2011 
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of 
Maine To Elect State Senators by County 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative SIROCKI of Scarborough. 
Cosponsored by Representative COTTA of China and 
Representatives: O'CONNOR of Berwick, PARKER of Veazie, SANDERSON of Chelsea. 
Constitutional amendment. Resolved:  Two thirds of each branch of the 
Legislature concurring, that the following amendment to the Constitution of Maine be 
proposed: 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Second, §1 is amended to read: 
Section 1.  Number of Senators.  The Senate shall consist of an odd number of 
Senators, not less than 31 nor more than 35, except that on or after December 3, 2014, the 
Senate shall consist of 32 Senators, elected at the same time and for the same term as 
Representatives  by the qualified electors of the districts into which the State shall be 
from time to time divided. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Second, §2, first ¶ is amended to read: 
Section 2.  Submission of reapportionment plan to Secretary of Senate; 
Legislature's action on commission's plan; division of State into senatorial 
districts; division by Supreme Judicial Court.  The Legislature which shall 
convene in the year 1983 and every tenth year thereafter 2013 shall cause reapportion the 
State to be divided into districts for the choice of a Senator from each district, using the 
same method as provided in Article IV, Part First, Section 2 for apportionment of 
Representative Districts so that the senatorial districts coincide with the counties of the 
State.  The voters of each county shall vote for 2 Senators. 
; and be it further 
Constitutional referendum procedure; form of question; effective date. 
Resolved:  That the municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their 
respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for 
holding a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of November 
following the passage of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment 
proposed in this resolution by voting upon the following question: 
 "Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to reduce the size of the Senate 
from no more than 35 members to 32 members by reapportioning senatorial districts 
to coincide with the counties of the State, effective December 3, 2014?"  
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within the corresponding 
square below the word "Yes" or "No."  The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and 
declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of 
State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature.  The Governor shall 
review the returns.  If it appears that a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of the 
amendment, the Governor shall proclaim that fact without delay and the amendment 
becomes part of the Constitution of Maine on the date of the proclamation; and be it 
further 
Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: That the Secretary of State 
shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies 
of this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum. 
SUMMARY 
This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to reduce the size of the 
Senate from no more than 35 members to 32 members as a result of reapportioning to 2 
Senators per county.  The resolution also requires the redrawing of district lines, to occur 
during the regularly scheduled redistricting following the decennial census.  The 
redistricting will be done in 2013.