Maine GOP pushes for voter ID requirement
Maine’s Republican majority has been pushing for voter ID laws for years. They point out that 36 other states also require photo identification to vote in federal, state, or local elections.
The supporters of the requirement that voters must show photo identification in Maine elections are pushing to bring the issue to the voters’ attention in November.
The Republican Party of California and a conservative political committee have proposed putting on the ballot for the 5th of November a referendum that would require voters in all federal, state, and local elections to present ID.
The Dinner Table PAC and other supporters of the proposal claim to have collected 40,000 signatures in the June primary. They expect more signatures at future signature drives. The deadline for collecting 67,000 signatures is August 8. The measure will be added to 2025’s ballot if not.
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The committee stated on its website that the Maine Legislature has refused to improve our elections through legislation such as Voter ID. The committee posted on its website that “we, as citizens, can do the same thing the legislature won’t and ask the question directly of Maine voters, thanks to the 1st Amendment right to petition the government.”
Maine voters will be required to present a driver’s license, passport or military ID to vote. According to the plan, voters who mail in their ballots would have to send a photocopy to their local election clerks to be processed. The plan would limit the number of drop boxes and mandate that they are managed by “bipartisan” election officials.
Maine Policy Institute, a conservative think tank, is one of those who are seeking to approve a voter identification requirement. They call it “commonsense reform that would protect against fraud” and “restore faith in our electoral system.”
Maine’s Republican majority has been pushing for voter ID laws for years. They point out that 36 other states also require photo identification to vote in federal, state, or local elections.
Democrats, however, have rejected these proposals repeatedly, most recently in June. They claim that the measures are aimed at voter suppression, and will disenfranchise minorities, the elderly and those who lack photo ID.
Sheena Bellows, the top state election official and a Democrat, a former legislator, said that these proposals would result in discrimination and create financial and logistical burdens. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills also threatens to veto any voter identification bills that reach her desk.
Republicans argue that recent polls have shown that Maine voters are in favor of voter ID laws. They also say that it is urgent to set up these protections because there have been reports that non-citizens were registered to vote by Maine and other states using new driver’s licences and official records.
Scott Cyrway (R-Albio) said in the Republican Party radio address on Sunday that it didn’t really matter if you believed voter fraud existed. “The only issue is whether or not we can implement safeguards that prevent fraud from occurring at all,” said state Rep. Scott Cyrway, R-Albio.
Last week, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill requiring individuals registering to vote to provide proof of citizenship to participate in federal elections and require states to check their voter rolls for registered noncitizens.
Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act was created to stop non-citizens voting in federal elections, which is illegal under U.S. laws. Supporters of the measure, however, point out that the National Voter Registration Act of 1992 prohibits states to confirm citizenship status.
The two Democratic House members from Maine were divided on the issue of passage. Rep. Jared Golden supported the measure and Rep. Chellie Pingree joined other Democrats to vote against it.
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