An Act to Clarify Required Disclosure of Personally Identifying Information for Certain Nominating Petitions
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0922
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: ROTUNDO, CLOUTIER
Amends: 21-A MRSA §335, 21-A MRSA §336, 21-A MRSA §354, 21-A MRSA §355

Legislative Document
No. 922
S.P. 393
In Senate, March 2, 2023
An Act to Clarify Required Disclosure of Personally Identifying 
Information for Certain Nominating Petitions
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin.
Cosponsored by Representative: CLOUTIER of Lewiston.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §335, sub-§1, as corrected by RR 2019, c. 2, Pt. B, §41, is 
amended to read:
1.  Content.  A primary petition must contain the name of only one candidate and that 
candidate's place of residence, party, office sought and electoral division, except that a 
petition for a federal office must contain the candidate's municipality of residence and is 
not required to contain the candidate's place of residence.  A primary petition may contain 
as many separate papers as necessary and may contain the candidate's consent required by 
section 336.
A.  When 2 United States Senators are to be nominated, the primary petition must 
contain the term of office sought by the candidate.
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §336, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1995, c. 459, §24, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Residence and party declared.  The consent must contain a declaration of the 
candidate's place of residence and party designation and a statement that the candidate 
meets the qualifications of the office the candidate seeks, which the candidate must verify 
by oath or affirmation before a notary public or other person authorized by law to 
administer oaths or affirmations that the declaration is true.  If, pursuant to the challenge 
procedures in section 337, any part of the declaration is found to be false by the Secretary 
of State, the consent and the primary petition are void. When made available as a public 
record, the consent must be redacted to remove the place of residence of a candidate for a 
federal office.
Sec. 3.  21-A MRSA §354, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2019, c. 371, §11, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Content.  A nomination petition must contain the name of only one candidate, the 
candidate's place of residence, the office sought and electoral division, except that a petition 
for a federal office must contain the candidate's municipality of residence and is not 
required to contain the candidate's place of residence.  A nomination petition may contain 
as many separate papers as necessary and may contain the candidate's consent required by 
section 355.  It may also contain the candidate's political designation.  This designation 
may not exceed 3 words in length, may not incorporate the candidate's name or the 
designation or an abbreviation of the designation of a party that is qualified to nominate 
candidates by primary election and may not consist of or comprise language that is obscene, 
contemptuous, profane or prejudicial, promotes abusive or unlawful activity or violates any 
other provision of the laws of this State with respect to names.  A candidate who intends to 
form a new party about that person's candidacy must use the proposed party's designation.
A.  When 2 United States Senators are to be nominated, the nomination petition must 
contain the term of office sought by the candidate.
B.  The names of presidential electors must be placed on the petition as a slate.  The 
names of the candidates for President and Vice President must be placed on a petition 
for the nomination of presidential electors.
Sec. 4.  21-A MRSA §355, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2019, c. 371, §12, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Qualifications declared.  The consent must contain a declaration of the candidate's 
place of residence and the fact that the candidate has not been enrolled in a party qualified 
to participate in a primary or general election after March 1st of that election year and that 
the candidate meets the qualifications of the office the candidate seeks.  The candidate must 
verify by oath or affirmation before a notary public or other person authorized by law to 
administer oaths or affirmations that the declaration is true.  If, pursuant to the challenge 
procedures in section 356, any part of the declaration is found to be false by the Secretary 
of State, the consent and the nomination petition are void.  The candidate must remain 
unenrolled from March 1st until the general election in order to remain qualified as an 
unenrolled candidate for the office sought in the nomination petition in that election year.  
When made available as a public record, the consent must be redacted to remove the place 
of residence of a candidate for a federal office.
A.  Candidates for the office of county charter commission need not verify by oath or 
affirmation that they are not enrolled in a party.
SUMMARY
This bill requires a candidate to provide a municipality of residence and removes the 
requirement to provide a place of residence on primary petitions and nonparty nomination 
petitions if that candidate is running for a federal office.  The bill also provides that the 
candidate consent for primary and nonparty candidates must redact the place of residence 
of a candidate for a federal office when that consent is made available as a public record.