An Act to Provide Funds Necessary for the Production and Delivery
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0013
Sponsors: HICKMAN, DAUGHTRY
Amends: 21-A MRSA §611

Legislative Document
No. 13
S.P. 26
In Senate, January 8, 2025
An Act to Provide Funds Necessary for the Production and Delivery 
of Election Materials by the Secretary of State and to Reconvene the 
Working Group to Study Polling Places at Schools
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on January 6, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec.
Cosponsored by Senators: BENNETT of Oxford, BRENNER of Cumberland, President 
DAUGHTRY of Cumberland, Representatives: RIELLY of Westbrook, SUPICA of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §611 is enacted to read:
§611.  Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund
1. Fund established.  The Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund, a 
nonlapsing, interest-bearing Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Department 
of the Secretary of State, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established for the 
purpose of receiving funds from the State to support the costs associated with the 
production and delivery of election materials as required under this Title, including, but not 
limited to, ballots, absentee ballot envelopes, voter registration applications, forms, 
instructions and other election supplies. The use of funds from the fund is in addition to 
any funds received by the Department of the Secretary of State from the State for this 
purpose.
2. Funding.  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, on or before 
September 30, 2025, and every September 30th thereafter, the State Controller shall 
transfer $266,000 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the Department 
of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions program, 
Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund Other Special Revenue Funds account 
to support the costs associated with the production and delivery of election materials 
pursuant to subsection 1, except that, beginning December 1, 2026, the transfer amount 
must be adjusted every 2 years based on the Consumer Price Index as reported by the 
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest 
amount divisible by $100.
3. Carry forward; transfer of funds.  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the 
contrary, the State Controller shall carry forward any remaining balances in the Department 
of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions program, 
General Fund account at the end of fiscal year 2025-26 and each fiscal year thereafter into 
the following fiscal year and shall transfer those balances each fiscal year to the Department 
of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions program, 
Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund Other Special Revenue Funds account.
Sec. 2.  Working group to study polling places at schools reconvened.  The 
Department of the Secretary of State shall convene a working group, referred to in this 
section as "the working group," to study the use of school buildings as polling places, to 
consider options to protect the security of school students and staff, election staff and voters 
and to consider polling place accessibility. The department shall provide the necessary 
staffing services to the working group.
1.  The working group consists of 9 members as follows:
A.  The Secretary of State or the secretary's designee;
B.  The deputy secretary of state of the bureau of corporations, elections and 
commissions within the Department of the Secretary of State or the deputy secretary's 
designee;
C.  The Commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee; 
D.  A representative of the Maine School Boards Association, appointed by the 
Secretary of State;
E.  A representative of the Maine School Superintendents Association, appointed by 
the Secretary of State;
F.  A representative of the Maine Town and City Clerks' Association, appointed by the 
Secretary of State;
G.  A representative of the Maine Municipal Association, appointed by the Secretary 
of State;
H.  A representative of an organization dedicated to advancing the legal rights of 
individuals with disabilities, appointed by the Secretary of State; and
I.  A representative of an organization dedicated to the protection of voters who are 
from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities, appointed by the 
Secretary of State.
2.  To the extent possible, membership in the working group must be the same as the 
working group convened under Resolve 2023, chapter 73. Members of the working group 
are not compensated for their participation in the working group.
3.  The working group shall:
A.  Identify the number of school buildings in the State that are designated as polling 
places;
B.  Examine and identify practices in other states around the use of school buildings as 
polling places;
C.  Evaluate the criteria necessary to protect the security of school students and staff, 
election staff and voters when school buildings are used as polling places;
D.  Identify possible changes to practices around the use of school buildings as polling 
places to protect voter accessibility and to safeguard the security of school students and 
staff, election staff and voters when a school building is used as a polling place; and
E.  Make recommendations based on the findings of the working group.
4.  No later than December 15, 2025, the Department of the Secretary of State shall 
submit a report that includes the findings and recommendations of the working group, 
including suggested legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal 
Affairs. The committee may report out legislation based on the report to the Second Regular 
Session of the 132nd Legislature.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund as a 
nonlapsing, interest-bearing Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Department 
of the Secretary of State for the purpose of receiving funds from the State to support the 
costs associated with the production and delivery of election materials. The use of funds 
from the fund is in addition to any other funds received by the department from the State 
for that purpose. 
It also provides for an ongoing transfer to the Production and Delivery of Election 
Materials Fund from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund. In 2025 the transfer 
is $266,000, and the amount must be adjusted for the cost of living every 2 years. 
Additionally, it provides for any remaining balances in the Department of Secretary of 
State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions program, General Fund account 
at the end of each fiscal year to be transferred to the Production and Delivery of Election 
Materials Fund.
The bill also reconvenes a working group to study polling places at schools in order to 
protect the security of school students and staff, election staff and voters and to consider 
polling place accessibility.