PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill in section 18 in subsection 1 in the 3rd line (page 7, line 10 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "day." and inserting the following: 'day., except that in municipalities with a population of less than 500, the polls must be opened no later than 10:00 a.m.'
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 23 and 24.
Amend the bill by inserting after section 25 the following:
‘Sec. 26.  21-A MRSA §674, sub-§1, ¶G  is enacted to read:
 
G. Having been entrusted with another voter's marked ballot, intentionally or knowingly discloses the content of that ballot to another person.’
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 26 and 27.
Amend the bill in section 31 in subsection 4 in the first line (page 10, line 4 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "The" and inserting the following: 'After giving notice to the state chair of each political party, the'
Amend the bill in section 31 in subsection 4 in the 2nd line (page 10, line 5 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "clerk," the following: 'in the presence of one or more witnesses and'
Amend the bill by inserting after section 31 the following:
‘Sec. 32.  21-A MRSA §753-B, sub-§9  is enacted to read:
 
9.  Restrictions on absentee voting in presence of clerk.    Except as allowed by subsection 5, a municipal clerk may not remove absentee ballots from the municipal office for the purpose of conducting absentee voting in the presence of the clerk except upon receipt of an application or written request from the voter. The clerk may not be assisted in delivering or providing an absentee ballot by any person who is a candidate or a member of a candidate's immediate family. Assistance includes, but is not limited to, providing transportation to a clerk who is delivering absentee ballots to a voter who is not marking the absentee ballot in the municipal clerk's office.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment provides that a municipality with a population of 500 or less may open its voting place as late as 10:00 a.m. on election day. All other municipalities must open their voting places no later than 8:00 a.m. The amendment requires notification to be made to the state chairs of each political party when the Secretary of State authorizes a municipal clerk to open a sealed ballot container. Finally, the amendment adds a new section to the bill that prohibits a municipal clerk from removing absentee ballots from the municipal office to conduct in-person absentee voting unless requested to do so by the voter and prohibits a candidate or a member of the candidate's immediate family from assisting the clerk in delivering absentee ballots.
The bill proposes to make the disclosure of another person's voted ballot a Class D crime. The amendment makes such disclosure a Class E crime.