AUGUSTA - A bill from Rep. Jay McCreight, D-Harpswell, that increases voter access to the ballot and provides clearer guidance for both voters and municipal officials overseeing elections was signed into law Wednesday.
LD 1575 will allow students at state-approved public and private schools in Maine to use their student photo IDs as proof of identity when registering to vote. The bill will also allow Maine's secretary of state to develop clear rules about poll watchers and others with an interest in the outcome of an election when at a voting location. In addition, the legislation will provide the public with more information about secure ballot drop box locations and how to vote after the no-excuse absentee voting period has ended.
"This is an important step forward to help ensure voter access for all eligible Mainers," McCreight said. "Whether were talking about college students, older Mainers or anyone in between, this new law defends voting rights and helps more Maine voters understand the election process. I'm grateful to my colleagues and to Gov. Mills for supporting this critical work to make our democracy stronger."
During the bills public hearing before the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, the measure drew supportive testimony from the League of Women Voters of Maine, the Maine Women's Lobby, American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, Maine Equal Justice, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and others.
"We need to make our elections more accessible for Maine voters in order to strengthen our democracy and ensure all voices are heard," said Rep. Morgan Rielly, D-Westbrook, a co-sponsor of the bill. "The passage of LD 1575 makes these much-needed democratic reforms a reality."
In the Legislature, McCreight's bill earned a 79-58 vote in the House and a 22-12 vote in the Senate.
McCreight, House chair of the Legislatures Marine Resources Committee and a member of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, is serving her fourth term in the Maine House and represents Harpswell, West Bath and northeastern Brunswick.
Rielly, also a member of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, is serving his first term in the Maine House. He represents a portion of Westbrook.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [McCreight, Rielly], c. 812-1111