Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1365
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: BABBIDGE, SANBORN, BROOKS, COLLINGS, DOUDERA, EVANGELOS, FARNSWORTH, KESSLER, VEROW

Legislative Document
No. 1365
H.P. 987
House of Representatives, March 21, 2019
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of 
Maine To Provide for the Election of the Governor by Majority 
Vote
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BABBIDGE of Kennebunk.
Cosponsored by Senator SANBORN, L. of Cumberland and
Representatives: BROOKS of Lewiston, COLLINGS of Portland, DOUDERA of Camden, 
EVANGELOS of Friendship, FARNSWORTH of Portland, KESSLER of South Portland, 
VEROW of Brewer.
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. V, Pt. First, §3 is amended to read:
Section 3.  Election; votes to be returned to Secretary of State; Secretary 
of State to lay lists before the Senate and House of Representatives; provision 
in case of tie.  The meetings for election of Governor shall be notified, held and 
regulated and votes shall be received, sorted, counted and declared and recorded, in the 
same manner as those for Senators and Representatives, except that the Governor must be 
elected by majority vote.  Copies of lists of votes shall be sealed and returned to the 
secretary's office in the same manner and at the same time as those for Senators.  The 
Secretary of State for the time being shall, on the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday 
of January then next, lay the lists returned to the secretary's office before the Senate and 
House of Representatives to be by them examined, together with the ballots cast if they so 
elect, and they shall determine the number of votes duly cast for the office of Governor, 
and in case of a choice by plurality majority of all of the votes returned they shall declare 
and publish the same.  If there shall be the final result of an election is a tie between the 2 
persons having the largest number of votes for Governor, the House of Representatives 
and the Senate meeting in joint session, and each member of said bodies having a single 
vote, shall elect one of said 2 the persons having so received an equal number of votes 
and the person so elected by the Senate and House of Representatives shall be declared 
the Governor.
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 require that the 
Governor be elected by majority vote?"
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 
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 resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to require that the 
Governor be elected by majority vote.