The “Voter ID for Maine” campaign started as a citizen initiative. A citizen initiative is legislation proposed through a petition process, and any registered Maine voters can initiate a petition. When the voters submit their application, they provide signatures of several supporters, draft language, and brief summary. The Secretary of State’s office has reviewed and approved the “Voter ID for Maine” initiative, and it will appear on the November 2025 ballot.
What’s the League’s stance on voter ID? The League opposes voter ID laws. These laws suppress voters and reduce voter turnout. We have worked to defeat such laws in Maine for over 15 years. We support full voter participation by all eligible American citizens, and we oppose efforts to create new barriers that block citizens' constitutional right to vote.
What’s actually in the legislation? This legislation is pure voter suppression that attacks our voting rights and absentee voting. If enacted, it would be one of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the country.
Here’s what it will do:
- It would require photo ID to vote and to vote absentee, and it would exclude a number of currently accepted IDs (like student and tribal IDs).
- The legislation behind the referendum is also an attack on absentee voting. It will repeal ongoing absentee voting, where a voter can sign up to have an absentee ballot mailed to them automatically for each election cycle.
- It limits the use and number of absentee ballot dropboxes to the point where some towns may find it impractical to offer them.
- It makes it impossible for voters to request an absentee ballot over the phone.
- It prevents an authorized third party from delivering an absentee ballot, a service that many elderly and disabled Mainers rely on.
Here’s why we’re against it:
- These restrictions can and will harm every type of voter, with senior and rural voters experiencing the worst of the disenfranchisement.
- It will be costly, too. Taxpayers will be on the hook to pay for a new system.
- All of the evidence suggests that voter IDs don’t prevent voter fraud. Maine has safeguards in place to prevent fraud, cyber attacks, and other kinds of foul play that would attempt to subvert our elections.
- This proposal is being imported to Maine from an out-of-state playbook (see the latest Ohio voter suppression law) that just doesn’t fit Maine.
- Maine has strong voting rights. We are a leader in the nation. Our small, rural, working-class state has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country. That’s something to be proud of. We rank this high because of our secure elections, same-day voter registration, no-excuse absentee ballots, and no photo ID laws required to vote.