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Home > News > Press Releases > STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL G. STEVEN ROWE REGARDING VOTING RIGHTS OF PERSONS UNDER GUARDIANSHIP

STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL G. STEVEN ROWE REGARDING VOTING RIGHTS OF PERSONS UNDER GUARDIANSHIP

February 20, 2001

FEBRUARY 20, 2001

CONTACT: G. Steven Rowe, Attorney General 207-626-8599

"As Attorney General, I am sworn to defend the Constitution and laws of Maine. Maine has a Constitutional provision that restricts the voting rights of many of our citizens.

"I do not intend for any person under guardianship to lose the right to vote as a result of my department's defense of the lawsuit brought by the Disability Rights Center. On the contrary, I believe that our analysis of the Constitutional voting restriction and the Maine probate code together has emphasized the fact that probate judges making guardianship decisions have the authority to ensure that an individual with capacity to vote retains that sacred right."