An Act To Protect Minor Political Parties That Seek Official Party Status
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1061
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: FECTEAU, ANDREWS, EVANGELOS, PLUECKER
Amends: 21-A MRSA §303, 21-A MRSA §303-A

Legislative Document
No. 1061
H.P. 790
House of Representatives, March 11, 2021
An Act To Protect Minor Political Parties That Seek Official Party 
Status
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FECTEAU of Augusta.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ANDREWS of Paris, EVANGELOS of Friendship, 
PLUECKER of Warren.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §303, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2017, c. 254, §2, is further 
amended to read:
2.  Enrollment of voters.  Within 5 business days after the declaration of intent 
required in subsection 1 is filed, the Secretary of State shall certify whether the application 
meets the requirements of subsection 1 and, if so, notify the applicants that they may enroll 
voters in the proposed party under sections 141 to 145.  On or before January 2nd of the 
next even-numbered year following the filing of the application under subsection 1, the 
applicants must file a certification with the Secretary of State, on a form designed by the 
Secretary of State, that they have at least 5,000 2,500 voters enrolled in the proposed party. 
The Secretary of State shall verify the proposed party's enrollment figures within 15 
business days of receiving the proposed party's certification and notify the applicants 
whether the proposed party has met the requirements to participate in a primary election in 
the subsequent even-numbered year.  A determination by the Secretary of State that the 
party has not met these requirements may be challenged pursuant to section 303‑A. After 
the Secretary of State determines that the party has met these requirements, if the Secretary 
of State later determines that fewer than 2,500 voters are enrolled in the party, the Secretary 
of State shall provide the party at least 90 days' notice before the enrollment status of voters 
enrolled in the party is changed.
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §303-A, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 254, §3, is 
amended to read:
3.  Public hearing.  Within 15 business days after receipt of a properly filed challenge 
under subsection 1, and after providing due notice of the hearing to the challenger, the 
Secretary of State shall hold a public hearing on the challenge.  The hearing must be held 
in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act.  The challenger has the burden 
of providing sufficient evidence to establish that the party did enroll a minimum of 5,000 
2,500 voters by the applicable deadline pursuant to section 303.
SUMMARY
This bill reduces the number of voters that must be enrolled in a proposed political 
party in order for that political party to participate in a primary election from 5,000 to 2,500.  
It also requires the Secretary of State to provide at least 90 days' notice to a political party 
the Secretary of State determines fewer than 2,500 voters have enrolled in before the 
enrollment status of voters enrolled in the party is changed.