A bill reducing enrollment requirements for minor political parties, introduced by Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin), was signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills (D) Monday alongside a number of other bills passed by the Legislature this session.
LD 769, “An Act to Reduce the Enrollment Requirement for Minor Political Parties That Seek Official Party Status,” lowers the enrollment required of a minor party for participation in Maine’s primary elections from 10,000 voters to 5,000 voters.
The Senate approved the bill in late May, and the House supported the measure in a roll call vote of 104-35 at the end of June.
Unlike many of the bills considered this legislation session, both support for and opposition to LD 769 was bipartisan.
“Biodiversity is important, not only for a healthy world, but also for a healthy political ecosystem,” Sen. Brakey said in his testimony before the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.
“A healthy political ecosystem must maintain space for third parties. They remind us there are more than two sides to any issue, putting forward perspectives that established orders would often rather ignore even to detriment of society,” Brakey said. “Over 26% of Maine voters are currently unenrolled, preferring not to sign on with either major party. Maine people want options, and yet only one third party, the Green-Independent Party, has managed to maintain the high thresholds for ballot access and party recognition in the state of Maine.”
Harrison Kemp of the Maine Libertarian Party also testified in favor of the bill.
“A more achievable pathway to earn permanent party status means more choices, more choices make it more likely we get the government we want rather than having to choose between the lesser of two evils,” he said.
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Maine Secretary of State Shanna Bellows (D) offered testimony neither for nor against the bill, noting that the state has an “important interest in regulating the party formation process, and by extension, ballot access of the party’s candidates.” According to Secretary Bellows, this helps to “ensure that only those parties with a significant modicum of support from the electorate can place candidates on the general election ballot through the primary process.”
“This reduces the proliferation of parties with little public support and frivolous candidates that cause ballot clutter and lead to voter confusion,” she argued.
Gov. Mills has not issued a statement directly speaking to her support of this legislation.
