An Act To Alter the Distribution of Maine Clean Election Act Funds
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1494
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: CAREY
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1125

Legislative Document 
No. 1494 
H.P. 1071 
House of Representatives, May 2, 2013 
An Act To Alter the Distribution of Maine Clean Election Act Funds 
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CAREY of Lewiston. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. F, 
§1 and c. 443, Pt. B, §6, is further amended to read: 
A.  For a gubernatorial candidate, at least 3,250 750 verified registered voters of this 
State must support the candidacy by providing a qualifying contribution to that 
candidate; 
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§3, ¶B, as amended by PL 2009, c. 286, §6, is 
further amended to read: 
B.  For a candidate for the State Senate, at least 175 60 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 amended by PL 2009, c. 286, §7, is 
further amended to read: 
C.  For a candidate for the State House of Representatives, at least 60 25 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-§6, as amended by PL 2011, c. 389, §54, is 
further amended to read: 
6.  Restrictions on contributions and expenditures for certified candidates.  After 
certification, a candidate must limit the candidate's campaign expenditures and 
obligations, including outstanding obligations, to the revenues distributed to the candidate 
from the fund and, except as provided in subsection 6-F, may not accept any 
contributions unless specifically authorized by the commission.  Candidates may also 
accept and spend interest earned on fund revenues in campaign bank accounts.  All 
revenues distributed to a certified candidate from the fund must be used for campaign-
related purposes. The candidate, the treasurer, the candidate's committee authorized 
pursuant to section 1013-A, subsection 1 or any agent of the candidate and committee 
may not use these revenues for any but campaign-related purposes.  The commission 
shall publish guidelines outlining permissible campaign-related expenditures. 
Sec. 5.  21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§6-F is enacted to read: 
6-F.  Additional contributions authorized.  After certification pursuant to 
subsection 5, a candidate for Governor, the State Senate or the State House of 
Representatives may continue to collect contributions in the amount of $5 from verified 
registered voters from the candidate's electoral division.  A voter who provides a 
qualifying contribution during the qualifying period to a candidate in a contested primary 
election may, after the date of the primary election, provide an additional $5 contribution 
to that candidate after certification pursuant to subsection 5. 
Sec. 6.  21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§8-A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 558, §§6 and 
7, is further amended to read: 
8-A.  Amount of fund distribution.  By September 1, 2011 2015, and at least every 
years after that date, the commission shall determine the amount of funds to be 
distributed to participating candidates in legislative elections based on the type of election 
and office.  In making this determination, the commission may take into consideration 
any relevant information, including but not limited to: 
A.  The range of campaign spending by candidates for that office in the 2 preceding 
elections election; and 
B.  The Consumer Price Index published monthly by the United States Department of 
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and any other significant changes in the costs of 
campaigning such as postage or fuel. 
Before making any determination, the commission shall provide notice of the 
determination and an opportunity to comment to the President of the Senate, the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives, all floor leaders, the members of the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over legal affairs and persons who have 
expressed interest in receiving notices of opportunities to comment on the commission's 
rules and policies.  The commission shall present at a public meeting the basis for the 
commission's final determination. 
For contested gubernatorial primary elections, the amount of revenues distributed is 
$400,000 $200,000 per candidate in a primary election.  For uncontested gubernatorial 
primary elections the amount of revenues distributed is $200,000 $100,000.  For 
contested and uncontested gubernatorial general elections, the amount of revenues 
distributed is $600,000 $300,000 per candidate in the general election. 
Sec. 7.  21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§8-B is enacted to read: 
8-B.  Supplemental distributions.  The amount of funds distributed to candidates 
who collected additional contributions in accordance with subsection 6-F is as follows. 
A.  For contested primary elections for candidates for the State Senate or the State 
House of Representatives, the amount of the supplemental distribution of revenues is 
an amount equal to $55 for each additional qualifying contribution collected in excess 
of those collected pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph B or C.  The maximum overall 
amount of total distributions in a contested primary election is $11,100 for a 
candidate for the State Senate and $2,100 for a candidate for the State House of 
Representatives. 
B.  For contested general elections for the State Senate, the amount of the 
supplemental distribution of revenues is an amount equal to $55 for each qualifying 
contribution collected in excess of those collected pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph 
B if that amount was not distributed pursuant to paragraph A, plus an amount equal to 
$55 for each additional contribution collected pursuant to subsection 6-F up to a 
maximum overall distribution of $36,200 per candidate in the general election. 
C.  For contested general elections for the State House of Representatives, the amount 
of the supplemental distribution of revenues is an amount equal to $55 for each 
qualifying contribution collected in excess of those collected pursuant to subsection 
3, paragraph C if that amount was not distributed pursuant to paragraph A, plus an 
amount equal to $55 for each additional contribution collected pursuant to subsection 
6-F up to a maximum overall distribution of $7,800 per candidate in the general 
election. 
D.  For uncontested legislative general elections, the amount of the supplemental 
distribution of revenues distributed to candidates for the State Senate or the State 
House of Representatives is $22 for each qualifying contribution collected in excess 
of those collected pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph B or C up to a maximum 
overall distribution of $12,000 for a candidate for the State Senate and a maximum 
overall distribution of $2,600 for a candidate for the State House of Representatives. 
E.  For contested gubernatorial primary elections, the amount of the supplemental 
distribution of revenues is an amount equal to $55 for each additional qualifying 
contribution collected in excess of those collected pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph 
A up to a maximum overall distribution of $350,000 per candidate in the primary 
election. 
F.  For gubernatorial general elections, the amount of the supplemental distribution of 
revenues is an amount equal to $55 for each qualifying contribution collected in 
excess of those collected pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph A if that amount was 
not distributed pursuant to paragraph E, plus an amount equal to $55 for each 
additional contribution collected pursuant to subsection 6-F up to a maximum overall 
distribution of $750,000 per candidate in the general election. 
Sec. 8.  Distribution to legislative candidates for 2014 election cycle.  The 
Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices shall set the amount of initial 
distributions for candidates for the State Senate and the State House of Representatives 
for the 2014 election cycle in an amount equal to 50% of the amount distributed to 
candidates in the 2012 election cycle.  These initial distributions when considered with 
supplemental distributions made in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
21-A, section 1125, subsection 8-B must be used to determine the maximum total 
distributions to legislative candidates as prescribed by Title 21-A, section 1125. 
SUMMARY 
This bill decreases the number of qualifying contributions required for legislative and 
gubernatorial candidates to collect to become certified as Maine Clean Election Act 
candidates.  It provides that candidates may continue to collect qualifying contributions in 
order to receive supplemental distributions from the Maine Clean Election Fund.  The bill 
establishes a maximum amount of total distributions from the fund for all candidates.  
Finally, the bill establishes the amount of initial distributions for the 2014 election cycle.