An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Secretary of State Regarding Automatic Voter Registration
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 2114
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Amends: 21-A MRSA §232

Legislative Document
No. 2114
H.P. 1507
House of Representatives, February 20, 2020
An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Secretary of 
State Regarding Automatic Voter Registration
Reported by Representative SCHNECK of Bangor for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Public Law 2019, chapter 409, section 7.
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed 
pursuant to Joint Rule 218.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §232, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 409, §6 and 
affected by §9, is amended to read:
1.  Application for driver's license or nondriver identification card; creation of 
pending voter registration record.  If an individual applies for a driver's license or 
nondriver identification card from the bureau, unless the individual opts out under section 
234, the bureau shall scan record the documentation provided by the individual and create 
a pending voter registration record for that individual, which must be stored electronically 
in the bureau's database.  The pending voter registration record and the record of the 
accompanying scanned documentation must be in a searchable, auditable format.
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §232, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Creation of pending voter registration record in other circumstances.  If an 
individual has previously applied for a driver's license or nondriver identification card 
from the bureau and the bureau has recorded the necessary documentation provided by 
that individual, unless the individual opts out under section 234, the bureau shall create a 
pending voter registration record for that individual whenever the individual appears in 
person at the bureau's office to conduct other transactions.  The pending voter registration 
record and the record of the accompanying documentation must be in a searchable, 
auditable format.
Sec. 3.  Report.  By January 1, 2021, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to 
the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over voter registration 
matters on the progress made toward implementing automatic voter registration and the 
estimated time required to complete all activities necessary for implementation.  The 
report may include recommended legislation for the proper implementation of the 
automatic voter registration system, including recommended adjustments to the 
implementation date.  The joint standing committee may report out legislation to the First 
Regular Session of the 130th Legislature based on the report.
Sec. 4.  Effective date.  Those sections of this Act that amend the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 21-A, section 232, subsection 1 and enact Title 21-A, section 232, 
subsection 1-A take effect January 1, 2022.
SUMMARY
This bill, which is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and 
Legal Affairs pursuant to Public Law 2019, chapter 409, section 7, implements the 
recommendations of the Secretary of State for implementation of the automatic voter 
registration system. The committee has not taken a position on the substance of the bill 
and by reporting this bill out the committee is not suggesting and does not intend to 
suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this bill. The committee is reporting 
the bill out for the sole purpose of obtaining a printed bill that can be referred to the 
committee for a public hearing and subsequent committee action in the normal course.  
The committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the legislative 
review of the proposal.
The bill replaces the requirement that the Department of the Secretary of State, 
Bureau of Motor Vehicles scan documentation that will be used to create a pending voter 
registration record for an individual who has not opted out of automatic voter registration 
and who applies for a driver's license or nondriver identification card with a requirement 
that the bureau record the individual's documentation for pending voter registration 
record purposes.  The bill also authorizes the bureau to create a pending voter registration 
record for an individual who has previously applied for a driver's license or nondriver 
identification card and submitted documentation sufficient to create a pending voter 
registration record if the individual appears before the bureau to conduct another 
transaction and does not opt out of automatic voter registration.
The bill directs the Secretary of State to submit, by January 1, 2021, a report to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over voter registration 
matters on the progress made toward implementing automatic voter registration and the 
estimated time required to complete all activities necessary for implementation. The joint 
standing committee may report out legislation to the First Regular Session of the 130th 
Legislature based on the report.