An Act To Allow Voting by Mail
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0272
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: MIRAMANT, EVANGELOS, HUBBELL, MASTRACCIO, PLUECKER, RISEMAN, RYKERSON
Amends: 21-A MRSA §671-A

Legislative Document
No. 272
S.P. 84
In Senate, January 22, 2019
An Act To Allow Voting by Mail
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox.
Cosponsored by Representatives: EVANGELOS of Friendship, HUBBELL of Bar Harbor, 
MASTRACCIO of Sanford, McCREIGHT of Harpswell, PLUECKER of Warren, RISEMAN 
of Harrison, RYKERSON of Kittery.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §671-A is enacted to read:
§671-A.  Voting by mail
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, beginning November 1, 
2020, all elections for President of the United States, United States Senator, United States 
Representative to Congress, Governor, State Senator and State Representative and on 
referendum questions must be conducted by mail.
Sec. 2.  Commission to Implement Voting by Mail established.  The 
Commission to Implement Voting by Mail, referred to in this section as "the 
commission," is established.
1.  Membership.  The commission consists of 7 members as follows:
A.  Two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, including a 
member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the 
Legislature;
B.  Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the 
House, including members from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of 
seats in the Legislature;
C.  The Secretary of State or the secretary's designee; and
D.  The Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee.
2.  Chairs.  The first-named Senate member is the Senate chair and the first-named 
House of Representatives member is the House chair of the commission.
3.  Appointments; convening of commission.  All appointments must be made no 
later than 30 days following the effective date of this section.  The appointing authorities 
shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative Council once all appointments have 
been completed.  When the appointment of all members has been completed, the chairs 
shall call and convene the first meeting of the commission.  If 30 days or more after the 
effective date of this section a majority of but not all appointments have been made, the 
chairs may request authority and the Legislative Council may grant authority for the 
commission to meet and conduct its business.
4.  Duties.  The commission shall make recommendations for implementing voting 
by mail in the State for all primary and general elections for President of the United 
States, United States Senator, United States Representative to Congress, Governor, State 
Senator and State Representative as well as all elections on people's veto questions, 
initiated measures, bond issues, constitutional amendments and other legislatively 
proposed referenda.  Prior to making its recommendations, the commission shall examine 
the laws, rules and implementation of voting by mail in Oregon and gather information 
on past or current proposals for voting by mail in other states.
The commission's recommendations must, at a minimum, address the following aspects 
of the voting by mail system:
A.  Deadlines for voter registration and enrollment;
B.  Processes for periodic verification and correction of voter mailing addresses, 
including a process for individuals who are homeless or who do not have access to mail 
service from the United States Postal Service to participate in the elections;
C.  Processes and deadlines for mailing ballots to voters and for voters to return 
completed ballots by hand or by mail;
D.  Criteria and processes for in-person voting on election day as an alternative to 
voting by mail; and
E.  Processes for ensuring the integrity of ballots, including verification of voter 
signatures, challenges to voter signatures and validation of challenged ballots by voters.
5.  Staff assistance.  The Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing 
services to the commission.
6.  Report.  No later than December 4, 2019, the commission shall submit a report 
that includes its findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation, to the 
Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.  The Joint Standing Committee 
on Veterans and Legal Affairs may report out legislation to the Second Regular Session 
of the 129th Legislature based upon the report.
SUMMARY
This bill requires that, beginning November 1, 2020, all primary and general elections 
for President of the United States, United States Senator, United States Representative to 
Congress, Governor, State Senator and State Representative as well as all elections on 
people's veto questions, initiated measures, bond issues, constitutional amendments and 
other legislatively proposed referenda be conducted by mail.  The bill also establishes the 
Commission to Implement Voting by Mail to make recommendations, including 
proposed legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs, 
which may report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature 
for implementing voting by mail.