Lawmakers have unanimously shot down two proposed amendments to Maine’s constitution that would have lowered the voting age to 16 and banned non-citizens from voting in state and local elections.
Because members of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee have all voted to recommend that these proposed amendments Ought Not to Pass, they will not be considered further this session unless extraordinary action were to be taken.
During a public hearing held earlier this month, Committee members heard impassioned testimony in support of lowering the voting age, including from a number of young people who would have been eligible to vote in coming elections had this amendment been passed but will now instead have to wait two years.
Since the federal voting age is set at 18, however, those ages 16 and 17 would have only been permitted to participate in state and local elections should this change have ultimately been approved. No state currently allows 16 year olds to participate in elections.
In February, the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee also heard testimony on Rep. Laurel Libby’s (R-Auburn) bill to clarify that only U.S. citizens may participate in Maine’s elections, including at the local level.
If approved, this amendment would have replaced the constitution’s existing wording, which states that “every” citizen of the United States residing in Maine over the age of 18 years enjoys this right.
According to Ballotpedia — dubbed the encyclopedia of American politics — fifteen states have banned non-citizens from voting in their constitutions.
[RELATED: Auburn Rep Sets Ball in Motion for a Constitutional Amendment Banning Non-Citizen Voting in Maine]
Generally speaking, amending Maine’s Constitution is not an easy task. In order to advance an amendment, at least two-thirds of the members in both the House and Senate must vote in support of the proposal.
Most kinds of legislation can be passed with just a simple majority, and today proposals are often advanced with only partisan, or nearly partisan, support.
Given this, the bar for constitutional amendments is set exceptionally high, especially in the current political climate.
Should an amendment ultimately gain enough support in the Legislature, it is then sent to voters for final ratification.
Despite the tough standards for amending Maine’s Constitution, there is extensive precedent for making such changes.
As of November 2023, 117 amendments to Maine’s Constitution had been approved, with the first being ratified in 1834.
Most recently, voters ratified two amendments in the November 2023 election. Both amendments, however, were largely administrative in nature, making them substantially less divisive than more politically-charged proposals.
Despite the fact that these two proposed constitutional amendments have now been rejected, there are still a number of other election-related legislation still on the table in Augusta.
Mainers are also set to weigh in directly on the issue of voter ID this November, where they will vote on a citizens initiative bill that would require individuals to present photographic identification when casting their ballots.
[RELATED: Civic Group Challenges Shenna Bellows in Court Over Wording of Voter ID Referendum Question]
Although the final ballot question wording is actively being challenged in court for allegedly “bur[ying] [the bill’s] core intent behind a string of technical and inflammatory clauses,” the question as it is currently set to go before voters this November reads:
“Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?”
It remains to be seen whether or not this language will change before ballots are printed in preparation for this upcoming election.
