An Act to Require All Candidates for Any State or County Office to Follow the Same Rules for Submission of Signatures Regarding Deadlines and the Number of Signatures
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1108
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: PARRY, FARRIN, ARATA, COLLINGS, NUTTING, RISEMAN, RUDNICKI, SAMPSON, HICKMAN
Amends: 21-A MRSA §354

Legislative Document
No. 1108
H.P. 704
House of Representatives, March 9, 2023
An Act to Require All Candidates for Any State or County Office to 
Follow the Same Rules for Submission of Signatures Regarding 
Deadlines and the Number of Signatures
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PARRY of Arundel.
Cosponsored by Senator FARRIN of Somerset and
Representatives: ARATA of New Gloucester, COLLINGS of Portland, NUTTING of Oakland, 
RISEMAN of Harrison, RUDNICKI of Fairfield, SAMPSON of Alfred, Senator: HICKMAN 
of Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §354, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, is amended 
to read:
2.  By whom signed.  A nomination petition may be signed only by unenrolled voters 
of the electoral division which that is to make the nomination, except that nomination 
petitions for presidential electors may be signed by any Maine voter.  Other signatures are 
void.
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §354, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2021, c. 273, §6, is further 
amended to read:
5.  Number of signatures required.  Nomination petitions must be signed by the 
following numbers of voters:
A.  For a slate of candidates for the office of presidential elector, at least 4,000 and not 
more than 5,000 voters;
B.  For a candidate for Governor, at least 4,000 2,000 and not more than 5,000 2,500 
voters;
C.  For a candidate for United States Senator, at least 4,000 and not more than 5,000 
voters;
D.  For a candidate for United States Representative, at least 2,000 and not more than 
2,500 voters;
E.  For a candidate for county office other than county commissioner or county charter 
commission member, at least 300 150 and not more than 400 200 voters;
E-1.  For a candidate for county commissioner, at least 100 50 and not more than 150 
voters;
F.  For a candidate for State Senator, at least 200 100 and not more than 300 150 voters;
G.  For a candidate for State Representative, at least 50 25 and not more than 80 40 
voters; and
H.  For a candidate for county charter commission member, at least 50 and not more 
than 80 voters.
Sec. 3.  21-A MRSA §354, sub-§8-A, as amended by PL 2013, c. 131, §13, is 
further amended to read:
8-A.  Filed with the Secretary of State.  A nomination petition must be filed in the 
office of the Secretary of State by 5 p.m. on June 1st March 15th in the election year in 
which it is to be used, except that petitions for a slate of candidates for the office of 
presidential elector must be filed in the office of the Secretary of State by 5 p.m. on August 
1st in the election year in which the petitions are to be used.
SUMMARY
This bill requires nomination petitions for state and county offices to have the same 
number of signatures as for a primary petition for the same office, to be signed only by 
unenrolled voters and to be filed with the Secretary of State by March 15th of the year of 
the election.