An Act To Make Interfering with an Election Official a Class C Crime
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1821
Committee Amendment CA_A_H840 (House)
Amends: 17-A MRSA §751, 21-A MRSA §1, 21-A MRSA §101, 21-A MRSA §505, 21-A MRSA §674, 21-A MRSA §675

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 1354, L.D. 1821, "An Act To Make 
Interfering with an Election Official a Class C Crime" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Protect Public Election Officials' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §751, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1997, c. 351, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
2. This section does not apply to: 
A. Refusal by a person to submit to an arrest or detention; eF 
B. Escape by a person from official custody, as defined in section 755.-;_m: 
C. Intentional interference by a person under Title 21-A, section 674. subsection 2. 
paragraph E. 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1, sub-§34, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, is amended 
to read: 
34. Public official. "Public official" means a person elected or appointed to serve the 
people. including but not limited to an election official, municipal clerk or registrar. 
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §101, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 415, §1 and affected 
by §5, is amended to read: 
9. Training. The registrar fffilSt shall attend a training session that is approved by the 
Secretary of State at least once every 2 years in regard to the conduct of voter registration. 
The training must include. but is not limited to. training on the de-escalation of conflicts 
and the process for reporting threats to or harassment of public officials related to the 
conduct of federal. state or municipal elections to the Secretary of State. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~o'b2 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1354, L.D. 1821 
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §505, sub-§7-A, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 415, §4 and 
affected by §5, is amended to read: 
7-A. Training. Attend a training session that is approved by the Secretary of State at 
least once every 2 years in regard to the conduct of elections. The training must include, 
but is not limited to, training on the de-escalation of conflicts and the process for reporting 
threats to or harassment of public officials related to the conduct of federal, state or 
municipal elections to the Secretary of State.. The Secretary of State shall offer training 
sessions regionally at least once every 2 years at no fee. The Secretary of State shall 
encourage municipalities to provide training biennially to all election officials; and 
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §674, sub-§2, 1A, as amended by PL 2003, c. 447, §16, is 
further amended to read: 
A. Assists another person in voting, knowing that the other person is not eligible to 
vote.;__QI 
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §674, sub-§2, ,iE is enacted to read: 
E. Intentionally interferes by force, violence or intimidation or by any physical act 
with any public official who is in fact performing or who the person believes is 
performing an official function relating to a federal, state or municipal election. 
Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §675 is enacted to read: 
§675. Reports of threats or harassment 
1. Reporting of threats or harassment. The Secretary of State shall accept and 
maintain a record of reports of threats to or harassment of public officials related to the 
conduct of federal, state or municipal elections in the State. The Secretary of State shall 
adopt routine technical rules, as defined in Title 5, chapter 3 7 5, subchapter 2-A, regarding 
the process for submitting reports pursuant to this subsection. 
2. Annual report. Beginning February L 2023, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
of State shall report the number and type of reports of threats to or harassment of public 
officials received by the Secretary of State during the previous calendar year to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over election matters.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment makes the new crime of intentionally interfering by force, violence or 
intimidation with a public official who is in fact performing or who the person believes is 
performing an official function relating to a federal, state or municipal election a Class D 
crime, rather than a Class C crime as proposed in the bill. It also clarifies that the public 
officials the new law is designed to protect include election officials, municipal clerks and 
registrars of voters. 
The amendment also directs the Secretary of State to develop, by rule, a process for 
reporting election-related threats to or harassment of public officials and to annually report 
the number and type of the reports received by the Secretary of State during the previous 
calendar year to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 1354, L.D. 1821 
election matters. Finally, the amendment requires the Secretary of State to incorporate de-
escalation training and information on how to report election-related threats to and 
harassment of public officials to the Secretary of State in the training provided to municipal 
clerks and registrars of voters. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/19/22 ,::t;pae 
LD 1821 
LR2346(02) 
An Act To Make Interfering with an Election Official a Class C Crime 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ~" ( H 
~ l ~ 0) 
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor revenue increase - General Fund 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
The additional workload associated with the minimal number of new cases filed in the court system does not requir, 
additional funding at this time. The collection of additional fines may increase General Fund or other dedicated 
revenue by minor amounts. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Additional costs to the Department of Secretary of State associated with maintaining a record of threats and annually 
reporting the numbers and types can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2346(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1