An Act to Improve Access to Absentee Ballots for Municipal
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1148
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: SHAGOURY, HICKMAN
Amends: 21-A MRSA §780, 21-A MRSA §783, 30-A MRSA §2529

Legislative Document
No. 1148
H.P. 753
House of Representatives, March 18, 2025
An Act to Improve Access to Absentee Ballots for Municipal 
Elections for Uniformed Service Voters and Overseas Voters
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SHAGOURY of Hallowell.
Cosponsored by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec and
Representatives: GRAHAM of North Yarmouth, MALON of Biddeford, MOONEN of 
Portland, SUPICA of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §780, first ¶, as amended by PL 2013, c. 131, §24, is further 
amended to read:
A uniformed service voter or an overseas voter may request an absentee ballot as 
provided in section 753‑A or by submitting a federal application or form requesting an 
absentee ballot as provided in section 783.  With respect to any election for federal office, 
a clerk or the Secretary of State may not refuse to accept or process any otherwise valid 
voter registration application or absentee ballot application submitted by a uniformed 
service voter or an overseas voter on the grounds that the voter submitted the application 
more than 3 months before the election for which the application will be used.  An 
application or request for an absentee ballot for a uniformed service voter or overseas voter 
that is accepted pursuant to section 753‑A or section 783 remains valid for 18 months from 
the date of receipt of the application and entitles the voter to receive absentee ballots for all 
federal and state elections during that period and for any municipal election for which the 
uniformed service voter or overseas voter is eligible that is to be held on the same date as 
a statewide election.
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §783, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 563, §9, is amended 
to read:
4.  Electronic transmission of absentee ballots.  Authorizing the electronic 
transmission of absentee ballots to uniformed service voters or overseas voters; and
Sec. 3.  21-A MRSA §783, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2015, c. 350, §1, is further 
amended to read:
5.  Electronic receipt of absentee ballots.  Authorizing the electronic receipt of voted 
absentee ballots from uniformed service voters or overseas voters by a method authorized 
by the Secretary of State.; and
Sec. 4.  21-A MRSA §783, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
6.  Central receipt and issuance of local absentee ballots.  Receiving from a 
municipality holding a municipal election on the same date as a statewide election a copy 
of that municipality's local absentee ballot at a central location for the purpose of issuing 
that local absentee ballot to a uniformed service voter or overseas voter who is eligible to 
receive that local absentee ballot in order to ensure expedited delivery of local absentee 
ballots.
Sec. 5.  21-A MRSA §783, 2nd ¶, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 563, §9, is amended 
to read:
The Secretary of State shall adopt rules to administer the central issuance and 
processing of absentee ballots, including rules that provide for the examination, counting 
and storage of ballots in the same manner as regular absentee ballots.  The Secretary of 
State shall also adopt rules to administer the issuance of a local absentee ballot from a 
municipality holding an election on the same date as a statewide election to a uniformed 
service voter or overseas voter, including rules related to the receipt of a local absentee 
ballot from a uniformed service voter or overseas voter and for the delivery of the local 
absentee ballot to the uniformed service voter's or overseas voter's municipality by the close 
of the polls on election day.  Rules adopted in accordance with this section are routine 
technical rules as described by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
Sec. 6.  30-A MRSA §2529, sub-§3 is enacted to read:
3.  Municipal election on same date as statewide election.  If a municipal election is 
to be held on the same date as a statewide election, the clerk shall submit to the Secretary 
of State or designated vendor a copy of the local ballot as soon as the ballot is ready to be 
issued.
SUMMARY
This bill directs municipalities to provide a copy of their local ballots to the Secretary 
of State for all municipal elections to be held on the same date as a statewide election. It 
provides that an application or request for an absentee ballot for a uniformed service voter 
or an overseas voter for any municipal election that is to be held on the same date as a 
statewide election for which the uniformed service voter or overseas voter is eligible is 
valid for 18 months, as is currently provided for all federal and state elections. The bill 
authorizes the Secretary of State to receive local ballots from municipalities holding such 
elections and to issue those ballots to uniformed service voters and overseas voters who are 
eligible to receive them. It also authorizes the Secretary of State to receive absentee ballots 
for such municipal elections from a uniformed service voter or an overseas voter at a central 
location and to deliver those local ballots to the uniformed service voters' or overseas 
voters' municipalities by the close of the polls on election day.