An Act To Require That School Budget Referenda Be Held on the Same Day as Primary Elections
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0638
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: WHITTEMORE, DUNPHY, LANGLEY, MASON, SAVIELLO, THIBODEAU, THOMAS, DOAK, MORRISON, WALLACE
Amends: 20-A MRSA §1482-A, 20-A MRSA §1486, 20-A MRSA §1488

Legislative Document 
No. 638 
S.P. 228 
In Senate, February 21, 2013 
An Act To Require That School Budget Referenda Be Held on the 
Same Day as Primary Elections 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator WHITTEMORE of Somerset. 
Cosponsored by Representative DUNPHY of Embden and 
Senators: LANGLEY of Hancock, MASON of Androscoggin, SAVIELLO of Franklin, 
THIBODEAU of Waldo, THOMAS of Somerset, Representatives: DOAK of Columbia Falls, 
MORRISON of South Portland, WALLACE of Dexter. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §1482-A, first ¶, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 668, §17, is 
amended to read: 
A regional school unit board shall hold a regional school unit budget meeting at a 
time it determines no later than 30 days before the date of the statewide primary or 
referendum election in June or the 2nd Tuesday in June if a statewide primary or 
referendum election is not held in June that year. 
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §1486, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. QQQ, 
§2, is further amended to read: 
2.  Validation referendum procedures.  The budget validation referendum must be 
held on or before the 30th calendar day following the scheduled date of the regional 
school unit budget meeting.  The referendum may not be held on a Sunday or legal 
holiday the same date as the statewide primary or referendum election in June or on the 
2nd Tuesday in June if a statewide primary or referendum election is not held in June that 
year.  The vote at referendum is for the purpose of approving or rejecting the total 
regional school unit budget approved at the regional school unit budget meeting.  The 
regional school unit board shall provide printed information to be displayed at polling 
places to assist voters in voting.  That information is limited to the total amounts 
proposed by the regional school unit board for each cost center summary budget category 
article, the amount approved at the regional school unit budget meeting, a summary of the 
total authorized expenditures and, if applicable because of action on an article under 
section 15690, subsection 3, paragraph A, a statement that the amount approved at the 
regional school unit budget meeting includes locally raised funds that exceed the 
maximum state and local spending target pursuant to section 15671-A, subsection 5. 
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §1486, sub-§3, ¶D, as amended by PL 2007, c. 668, §20, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
D.  Absentee ballots must be available to voters on the day after the regional school 
unit budget meeting.  The deadline to request an absentee ballot from the municipal 
clerk is the 3rd business day prior to the budget validation referendum election.  The 
deadline to submit an absentee ballot to the municipal clerk is the close of the polls. 
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §1486, sub-§3, ¶E, as amended by PL 2007, c. 668, §20, is 
further amended to read: 
E.  All envelopes containing absentee ballots received before the day after the 
conclusion of the regional school unit budget meeting or after the close of the polls 
must be marked "rejected" by the municipal clerk. 
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §1488, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. XXXX, §13, is 
amended to read: 
§1488.  Special budget meeting 
The regional school unit board may call a special budget meeting when it declares 
that an emergency exists. The voters of the regional school unit may authorize the 
regional school unit board at a special regional school unit budget meeting to expend 
additional funds from the regional school unit's undesignated fund balance or to pledge 
the credit of the regional school unit to obtain additional money for the operation of 
schools. A special budget meeting held on or after July 1, 2008 must be conducted in 
accordance with sections 1485 and 1486, except that a regional school unit board may 
call a special budget meeting at a time it determines and the budget validation referendum 
must be held on or before the 30th calendar day following the scheduled date of the 
special budget meeting.  The referendum may not be held on a Sunday or legal holiday. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires a regional school unit board to hold a regional school unit budget 
meeting no later than 30 days before the date of the statewide primary or referendum 
election in June or the 2nd Tuesday in June if a statewide primary or referendum election 
is not held in June that year and requires the budget validation referendum to be held on 
the same date as the statewide primary or referendum election in June or on the 2nd 
Tuesday in June if a statewide primary or referendum election is not held in June that 
year.  The bill changes the provisions governing absentee ballots for a budget validation 
referendum.