More than $2 million has been raised in opposition to Question 1 on this November’s ballot, a citizens initiative that aims to implement voter ID requirements and amend Maine’s absentee voter laws.
By contrast, Voter ID for ME, the ballot question committee (BQC) behind the initiative, has raised a just over $613,000 during this same period.
This information is all made publicly available by the Maine Ethics Commission and will continue to be updated as additional filings are made leading up to election day.
At this point in the election cycle, ballot question committees are expected to file additional reports of single contributions of $5,000 or more or single expenditures of at least $1,000.
While the Republican Senate Leadership Committee (RSLC) has by far been the biggest contributor to this BCQ, a number of major organizations have made six-figure donations to the opposition groups.
Save Absentee Voting, for example, has received large donations from the National Education Association (NEA), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Democracy Fund Voice.
The George Soros-founded Open Society Policy Center, the Center for Community Change Action, and Arabella’s 1630 Fund have all previously made six-figure donations to the Maine People’s Alliance’s BQC, which has been used to either support or oppose a number of referendum questions over the years.
Of the expenditures reported by Save Absentee Voting, the largest category by far is television and cable ads, coming in at more than $536,000.
The Democrat Governor’s Association (DGA) has spent just shy of $235,000 in total so far opposing Question 1.
Voter ID for ME has reported spending just over $589,000 in support of the citizens initiative, as of the group’s most recent filing with the Maine Ethics Commission.
Click Here for More Information from the Maine Ethics Commission
While supporters argue that the law would help to secure Maine’s elections by requiring voters to show identification when casting their ballots, opponents frame the bill as an existential attack on the state’s absentee voting system.
Under the new voter ID requirements, Mainers voting both in person and absentee would need to prove their identity in order to cast a ballot.
Qualifying forms of ID would include a drivers license, passport, military ID, or no-cost non-driver identification card.
[RELATED: Breaking Down How Question 1 Would Change Election Law in Maine]
To vote in person, Mainers would need to show one of these forms of ID in order to receive their ballot. When voting absentee, an ID number or photocopy of the acceptable identification would need to be included both when requesting and returning a ballot.
Most prominent among the changes to absentee voting made by this bill is bringing an end to Maine’s ongoing, allegedly lax absentee voter program. Currently only available to seniors and the disabled — but soon to be expanded to all Mainers — this program allows an individual to elect to automatically receive absentee ballots in future elections without the need to submit a separate request each time.
This law would also end the practice of requesting absentee ballots over the phone and amend the rules surrounding absentee ballot drop box maintenance.
[RELATED: How Can Mainers Register to Vote Ahead of the November 4th Election?]
Mainers who are not already registered to vote may do so any time up to and including election day.
Anyone who is unsure of their voter registration status may contact their local municipal clerk’s office to check.
Contact information for all Maine municipal clerks and registrars is available here. A statewide online lookup tool is not currently available.
To register, prospective voters must be United States citizens, residents of Maine, and over the age of 16. That said, only Mainers who will be at least 18 on November 4, 2025 are eligible to participate in the upcoming election.
First time registrants must show both proof of residency and identity. Government documents such as a driver’s license, passport, birth certificate, or signed Social Security card are all valid ways of doing so.
Mainers may also choose to provide official documentation showing their name and address. For example, prospective voters may bring proof of their eligibility for public benefits, a utility bill, a bank statement, or a paycheck.
Photo IDs from state-approved public or private schools or institutes of higher education are also considered acceptable.
Some may also opt to provide their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security Number.
Current or former incarceration status does not disqualify Mainers from registering to vote or casting their ballot.
