Tag: maine
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Maine rejects Question 1 by the widest margin for a voter ID proposal since at least 2004
Voters rejected Maine Question 1 on Nov. 4. As of Nov. 7, 2025, the vote margins were 35.9% 'Yes' to 64.1% 'No.' Question 1 would have made several changes, including requiring photo identification for in-person and absentee voting; requiring voters to complete an identification envelope for absentee voting; allowing a person’s absentee ballot to be…
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Rep. Jared Golden becomes the 32nd U.S. House member who is not seeking re-election in 2026
Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) announced on Nov. 5, 2025, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. On his retirement, Golden posted on X, “After much deliberation, I’ve decided not to seek reelection in 2026. I’m confident that were I to run again, I would win. But recent events…
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Signature validity for 2025 Maine initiatives was 93.0%, surpassing the 2017-2025 state average of 88.4%
Two citizen-initiated ballot measures will appear on the Nov. 4, 2025, ballot in Maine—Question 1 and Question 2. Proponents of a ballot initiative collect petition signatures from a certain minimum number of registered voters in a state. For 2025, the average signature validity rate was 93.0%. Sponsors of Question 1 submitted 4,410 petition forms containing…
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Maine ballot initiative campaigns raise $3.3 million ahead of Nov. 2025 election
The quarterly deadline for campaign finance reports in Maine was Oct. 6, meaning the latest filings for ballot measure committees cover contributions and expenditures through Sept. 30. Through Sept. 30, campaigns for and against the two ballot initiatives on Maine’s Nov. 4, 2025, ballot have raised a combined $3.3 million. The two ballot measures are…
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Janet Mills becomes the 12th Maine governor to run for Senate since 1914
Maine Gov. Janet Mills has announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate against incumbent Susan Collins (R) in 2026. In her launch video, Mills said, “I won’t sit idly by while Maine people suffer and politicians like Susan Collins bend the knee as if this were normal.” Mills is finishing her second term as governor. She…
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Maine became the seventh state to approve initiative and referendum 117 years ago, on September 15
Voters in Maine approved a constitutional amendment establishing the state’s initiative and referendum process 117 years ago, on September 15. The vote was 53,785 (68.7%) to 24,543 (31.3%). Maine was the seventh state to adopt the initiative and referendum, and the first state east of the Mississippi River. The constitutional amendment provided for an indirect…
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On sixth attempt, Maine voters approved ballot measure for separation from Massachusetts on July 26, 1819 — 206 years ago
Before Maine became the 23rd state on March 15, 1820, voters weighed in on six ballot measures over three decades regarding separation from Massachusetts. And the final ballot measure, voted upon 206 years ago on July 26, 1819, was approved 70.6% 'Yes' to 29.4% 'No.' After the American Revolution, Maine was part of the Commonwealth…
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Federal appeals court blocks enforcement of Maine’s Question 2, which barred election spending by corporations that are at least 5% foreign‑owned
In Maine, a federal appellate court upheld a district court’s injunction blocking enforcement of Question 2, which prohibited foreign governments and certain entities from contributing to ballot measure elections. Voters passed Question 2 in 2023 by a margin of 86% to 14%. The First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Question 2 would be unconstitutional…
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Ballot measure update: Two indirect initiatives to appear on ballot in Maine, one more legislative referral in Arizona
The number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average compared to previous election cycles as of July 8. 2025 ballot measures For 2025, 29 statewide ballot measures have been certified in eight states—Colorado, Louisiana, Maine, New York, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. This is five more than the…
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Maine lawmakers recall RCV expansion from Gov. Mills' desk
On June 25, 2025, both chambers of the Maine Legislature agreed by voice vote to recall LD 1666 from Gov. Janet Mills (D) desk and carry the bill over to the next special or regular legislative session. The bill would have expanded the state's use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) to include general and special elections…