Maine’s Gov. Janet Mills (D), who announced her intent to run for the United States Senate Tuesday morning, has officially expressed her opposition to Question 1 on this November’s ballot.
Stemming from a citizens initiative, Question 1 seeks to implement voter ID requirements for both in-person and absentee voting.
The bill also looks to make several amendments to Maine’s absentee voter process more broadly.
Most notably, the proposed legislation would end Maine’s ongoing absentee voter program, eliminate the option of requesting an absentee ballot over the phone, and change some of the rules surrounding absentee ballot drop boxes.
If passed, the question’s enabling legislation would also make a handful of other changes to the laws surrounding absentee voting in the State of Maine.
[RELATED: Breaking Down How Question 1 Would Change Election Law in Maine]
Gov. Mills’ statement in opposition to the bill was published on the governor’s official website this past Friday, reiterating remarks she shared during her weekly radio address.
“Maine is proud to lead the nation in voter participation because of our long history of safe and secure elections,” said Mills.
“Whether you vote in person or by absentee ballot, you can trust that your vote will be counted fairly,” she continued. “But that fundamental right to vote is under attack from Question 1.”
“Proponents of Question 1 say it’s a way to make voting more secure,” she said, “but our voting is secure already, and there’s no evidence of widespread voter fraud.”
She goes on to suggest that Question 1 “just makes it harder for Maine people to vote,” pointing out that around 40 percent of Mainers voted by absentee ballot during the previous election cycle.
Mills also makes note of provisions in the proposed law prohibiting prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes and requiring voters to request their own absentee ballots, eliminating the option of having immediate family members submit the request on their behalf.
The changes surrounding absentee ballot drop boxes were also addressed by Mills in this statement.
“You know, roughly 60 percent of seniors vote absentee, and it will limit the number of secure drop boxes,” she said. “Those drop boxes are carefully designed to be locked and secure, with keys only to the appropriate municipal official. This bill would change all of that.”
“Our elections are already safe, secure, and trustworthy,” Mills concluded. “The right to vote is at the foundation of our democracy. Let’s not make it harder for Maine people to exercise that important freedom.”
The governor, and now U.S. Senate candidate, sidestepped in her statement the troubling news about 250 ballots being included in an Amazon shipment to a Newburgh resident in recent weeks. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D), whose office administers Maine elections, is running in a crowded primary to replace Mills next year.
Read Gov. Mills’ Full Radio Address and Statement
Mills launched her senatorial campaign early Tuesday morning, releasing a two-minute video on X in which she appears to position herself against President Donald Trump (R), saying that she has “never backed down from a bully and [she] never will.”
“Donald Trump is ripping away health care from millions, driving up costs, and giving corporate CEOs massive tax cuts,” she wrote in the accompanying post. “And Susan Collins is helping him.”
Under Maine State Law, Mills is not eligible to run for governor in the upcoming election cycle, as she has already been in office for two consecutive four-year terms.
