An Act To Allow Cash Qualifying Contributions under the Maine Clean Election Act
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0585
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: MIRAMANT, SHEATS, CARPENTER, CYRWAY, DILL, KEIM, MILLETT, HARRINGTON, HICKMAN
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1122, 21-A MRSA §1125

Legislative Document
No. 585
S.P. 200
In Senate, February 16, 2017
An Act To Allow Cash Qualifying Contributions under the Maine 
Clean Election Act
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox.
Cosponsored by Representative SHEATS of Auburn and
Senators: CARPENTER of Aroostook, CYRWAY of Kennebec, DILL of Penobscot, KEIM of 
Oxford, MILLETT of Cumberland, Representatives: CASÁS of Rockport, HARRINGTON of 
Sanford, HICKMAN of Winthrop.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §1122, sub-§7, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 286, §4, is 
further amended to read: 
A.  Of $5 in cash or more $5 in the form of a check or a money order payable to the 
fund and signed by the contributor in support of a candidate or made over the Internet 
in support of a candidate according to the procedure established by the commission; 
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§3, as amended by IB 2015, c. 1, §18, is further 
amended to read: 
3.  Qualifying contributions.  Participating candidates must obtain qualifying 
contributions during the qualifying period as follows: 
A.  For a gubernatorial candidate, at least 3,200 verified registered voters of this State 
must support the candidacy by providing a qualifying contribution to that candidate; 
B.  For a candidate for the State Senate, at least 175 verified registered voters from 
the candidate's electoral division must support the candidacy by providing a 
qualifying contribution to that candidate; or 
C.  For a candidate for the State House of Representatives, at least 60 verified 
registered voters from the candidate's electoral division must support the candidacy 
by providing a qualifying contribution to that candidate. 
A payment, gift or anything of value may not be given in exchange for a qualifying 
contribution.  A candidate may pay the fee for a money order that is a qualifying 
contribution in the amount of $5 as long as the donor making the qualifying contribution 
pays the $5 amount reflected on the money order.  Any money order fees paid by a 
participating candidate must be paid for with seed money and reported in accordance with 
commission rules.  A money order must be signed by the contributor to be a valid 
qualifying contribution.  For qualifying contributions made in cash, in order to be a valid 
contribution, the candidate shall ensure that the contributor attests, by signing a receipt 
and acknowledgment form designed by the commission, that the contributor made the 
contribution using the contributor's own funds and received nothing in return for making 
the qualifying contribution.  In lieu of submitting the cash to the commission, the 
candidate shall submit a check payable to the Maine Clean Election Fund in an amount 
equal to cash contributions listed on the receipt and acknowledgment form to the 
commission.  The commission may establish by routine technical rule, adopted in 
accordance with Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A, a procedure for a qualifying 
contribution to be made by a credit or debit transaction and by electronic funds transfer 
over the Internet. Records containing information provided by individuals who have 
made qualifying contributions over the Internet are confidential, except for the name of 
the individual making the contribution, the date of the contribution, the individual's 
residential address and the name and office sought of the candidate in whose support the 
contribution was made. 
It is a violation of this chapter for a participating candidate or an agent of the participating 
candidate to misrepresent the purpose of soliciting qualifying contributions and obtaining 
the contributor's signed acknowledgement acknowledgment. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the definition of "qualifying contribution" under the Maine Clean 
Election Act to include $5 cash contributions in addition to those made by check or 
money order or via the Internet.  Current law defines a qualifying contribution as a 
contribution in the amount of $5 or more.  This bill limits the contribution to $5.  The bill 
also provides a process to ensure that qualifying contributions made in cash are valid 
contributions. A contributor must attest, using a form designed by the Commission on 
Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, that a qualifying contribution was made 
using the contributor's personal funds and the contributor received nothing in return for 
the contribution.  Finally, the bill provides that a candidate may submit a check to the 
Maine Clean Election Fund equal to the amount of qualifying contributions made in cash 
along with the receipt and acknowledgment forms required to be submitted to be certified 
as a participating candidate under the Maine Clean Election Act.