AUGUSTA – Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap has issued an amended determination on remand from the Business and Consumer Court, finding that the citizens’ initiative petition for “An Act To Legalize Marijuana” has enough valid signatures to be presented to the Legislature for consideration. On March 2, the Department of the Secretary of State found that the marijuana legalization petition effort did not submit enough valid signatures of Maine voters to qualify for the 2016 ballot. Of the 47,686 found invalid, 21,797 were due to significant variances in the signatures of five notaries, which did not match their official notary signatures…
Author: Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap of Old Town, Maine's 49th Secretary of State, is the first person to serve non-consecutive terms in that office since 1880. He previously served three terms as Maine's 47th Secretary of State. For more information, visit www.maine.gov/sos.
AUGUSTA – In a decision handed down today, Justice Michaela Murphy of the Kennebec County Superior Court remanded the decision of the Maine Department of the Secretary of State on the citizens’ initiative “An Act To Legalize Marijuana” see legislation. On March 2, the department found that the petition effort did not have enough valid signatures of Maine voters to qualify for the 2016 ballot, as the petitioners had submitted 51,543 valid signatures, while 47,686 were deemed invalid. A minimum of 61,123 valid signatures from registered Maine voters is required in the citizens’ initiative process. The determination was challenged in…