An Act Regarding the Acceptance of Maine Clean Election Act Campaign Contributions on State Websites
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0011
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: CEBRA
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1125

Legislative Document
No. 11
H.P. 12
House of Representatives, January 2, 2019
An Act Regarding the Acceptance of Maine Clean Election Act 
Campaign Contributions on State Websites
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CEBRA of Naples.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  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.  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.  Qualifying contributions may not be made on a website hosted or 
operated by the commission, the State or a state agency.  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.
Sec. 2.  Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to 
amend rule.  The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices shall, 
prior to the commencement of the next qualifying period as defined in the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 21-A, section 1122, subsection 8, amend portions of section 2 of its rule 
Chapter 3: Maine Clean Election Act and Related Provisions to eliminate the 
commission's authority to establish an online service for members of the public to make 
qualifying contributions in support of candidates seeking Maine Clean Election Act 
funding.
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits candidates who are seeking certification under the Maine Clean 
Election Act from collecting qualifying contributions over the Internet on a website 
hosted or operated by the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, 
the State or a state agency.