Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0058
Committee Amendment CA_A_H419 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. /?,, to H.P. 55, L.D. 58, "RESOLUTION, 
Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Extend the Terms of 
Legislators to 4 Years" 
Amend the resolution by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Change 
the Terms of Legislators' 
Amend the resolution by striking out everything after the title and inserting the 
following: 
'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. II, §4 is amended to read: 
Section 4. Time of state election; absentee voting. The election of Senators 
and members of the House of Representatives shall be on the Tuesday following the first 
Monday of November biennially fors:vsr and ths slsction of, except that beginning with 
the general election held in 2022, the election of Senators and members of the House of 
Representatives must be on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November every 2 
or 4 years depending on the term served in accordance with Article IV. The Governor 
shall be elected on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November every 4 years. 
The Legislature under proper enactment shall authorize and provide for voting by citizens 
of the State absent therefrom in the Armed Forces of the United States or of this State and 
for voting by other citizens absent or physically incapacitated for reasons deemed 
sufficient. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. First, §2 is amended to read: 
Section 2. Number of Representatives; terms; division of the State into 
districts for House of Representatives. The House of Representatives shall consist 
of 151 members, to be elected by the qualified electors, and hold their office 2 years from 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ff,. to H.P. 55, L.D. 58 
the day next preceding the first Wednesday in December following the general election~ 
except that beginning with the general election held in 2022, members of the House of 
Representatives hold their office for either a 2-year or 4-year term from the day next 
preceding the first Wednesday in December following the general election depending on 
the term for which the members were elected. The Legislature which convenes in 2013, 
and also the Legislature which convenes in 2021 and every 10th year thereafter, shall 
cause the State to be divided into districts for the choice of one Representative for each 
district. The number of Representatives shall be divided into the number of inhabitants of 
the State exclusive of foreigners not naturalized according to the latest Federal Decennial 
Census or a State Census previously ordered by the Legislature to coincide with the 
Federal Decennial Census, to determine a mean population figure for each Representative 
District. 
Each Representative District shall be formed of contiguous and compact 
territory and shall cross political subdivision lines the least number of times necessary to 
establish as nearly as practicable equally populated districts. Whenever the population of 
a municipality entitles it to more than one district, all whole districts shall be drawn 
within municipal boundaries. Any population remainder within the municipality shall be 
included in a district with contiguous territo1y and shall be kept intact. Beginning with 
the general election in 2022, the term of office for Representatives from 50 districts must 
rotate every 10 years on a cycle of one 4-year term followed by one 2-year term followed 
by one 4-year term, each of these districts referred to in this section as "a 4-2-4 district"; 
the term of office for a separate 50 districts must rotate every 10 years on a cycle of one 
2-year term followed by two 4-year terms. each of these districts referred to in this 
section as "a 2-4-4 district"; and the term of office for the other 51 districts must rotate 
every 10 years on a cycle of two 4-year terms followed by one 2-year term, each of these 
districts referred to in this section as "a 4-4-2 district." The Legislature that convenes in 
2021 and every 10th year thereafter shall identify the cycle of terms for each district, and 
each term cycle must be evenly distributed geographically throughout the State so that, 
unless geographically impossible, a 4-2-4 district is contigµous to a 2-4-4 district that is 
also contigµous to a 4-4-2 district. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. First, §5 is amended to read: 
Section 5. Election of Representatives; lists of votes delivered forthwith; 
lists of votes examined by Governor; summons of persons who appear to be 
elected; lists shall be laid before the House. The meetings within this State for the 
choice of Representatives shall be warned in due course of law by qualified officials of 
the several towns and cities 7 days at least before the election, and the election officials of 
the various towns and cities shall preside impartially at such meetings, receive the votes 
of all the qualified electors, sort, count and declare them in open meeting; and a list of the 
persons voted for shall be formed, with the number of votes for each person against that 
person's name. Cities and towns belonging to any Representative District shall hold their 
meetings at the same time in the respective cities and towns; and such meetings shall be 
notified, held and regulated, the votes received, sorted, counted and declared in the same 
manner. Fair copies of the lists of votes shall be attested by the municipal officers and 
the clerks of the cities and towns and the city and town clerks respectively shall cause the 
same to be delivered into the office of the Secretary of State forthwith. The Governor 
shall examine the returned copies of such lists and 7 days before the first Wednesday of 
December biennially following the general election, shall issue a summons to such 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT t to H.P. 55, L.D. 58 
persons as shall appear to have been elected by a plurality of all votes returned, to attend 
and take their seats. All such lists shall be laid before the House of Representatives on 
the first Wednesday of December biennially following the general election, and they shall 
finally determine who are elected. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Second, §2 is amended by adding after the first 
paragraph a new paragraph to read: 
Beginning with the general election in 2022, the term of office for Senators from 11 
districts must rotate every 10 years on a cycle of one 4-year term followed by one 2-year 
term followed by one 4-year term, each of these districts referred to in this section as "a 
4-2-4 district"; the term of office for a separate 11 districts must rotate every 10 years on 
a cycle of one 2-year term followed by two 4-year terms, each of these districts referred 
to in this section as "a 2-4-4 district"; and the term of office for all other districts must 
rotate every 10 years on a cycle of two 4-year terms followed by one 2-year term, each of 
these districts referred to in this section as "a 4-4-2 district." 
The Legislature that 
convenes in 2021 and every 10th year thereafter shall identify the cycle of terms for each 
district, and each term cycle must be evenly distributed geographically throughout the 
State so that, unless geographically impossible, a 4-2-4 district is contiguous to a 2-4-4 
district that is also contiguous to a 4-4-2 district. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Second, §5 is amended to read: 
Section 5. Determination of Senators elected; term; procedure for filling 
vacancies. 
The Senate shall, on said first Wednesday of December, biennially 
following the general election determine who is elected by a plurality of votes to be 
Senator in each district. All vacancies in the Senate arising from death, resignation, 
removal from the State or like causes, and also vacancies, if any, which may occur 
because of the failure of any district to elect by a plurality of votes the Senator to which 
said district shall be entitled shall be filled by an immediate election in the unrepresented 
district. The Governor shall issue a proclamation therefor and therein fix the time of such 
election. 
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 change the term of 
office for State Senate and Representative Districts to include two 4-year 
terms and one 2-year term within every 10-year period beginning in 
2022?" 
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 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT.;,, to H.P. 55, L.D. 58 
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. 
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 amendment is the minority report of the committee. It increases the term of 
office for Representatives and Senators to include two 4-year terms and one 2-year term 
within a 10-year cycle starting with the general election in 2022. The House and Senate 
districts are divided as equally as possible into 3 groups with staggered terms within the 
10-year cycle. The first group follows a cycle of one 4-year term followed by one 2-year 
term followed by one 4-year term. The 2nd group follows a cycle of one 2-year term 
followed by two 4-year terms. The 3rd group follows a cycle of two 4-year terms 
followed by one 2-year term. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/24/19 frac:.. 
LD58 
LR272(02) 
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Extend the Terms of 
Legislators to 4 Years 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment /j.. (!f-Lj 11) 
Committee: State and Local Government 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Future biennium savings - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Referendum Costs 
MonthNear 
Election Type 
Question 
Length 
Nov-19 
General 
Referendum 
Standard 
The Secretary of State's budget includes sufficient funds to accommodate one ballot of average length for the general 
election in November. If the number or size of the referendum questions requires production and delive1y of a second 
ballot, an additional appropriation of $107,250 may be required. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Contingent on passage at referendum, increasing the term of office for Representatives and Senators from 2 to 4 years 
will decrease the number of future election cycles and associated candidates seeking funding through the Maine Clean 
Election Act, which would result in future biennium Other Special Revenue Funds savings. 
LR0272(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of I