Maine Sec. of State says proposed election materials fund is ‘crucial to democracy’

One year into her tenure, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said Maine’s elections department ended the year with $1. 

That isn’t the case every year, but since 2021, the cost of printing, postage, envelopes and delivery of election materials has increased by 25%, Bellows said. 

That’s why she’s happy to be supporting a bill from Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec) that would create a dedicated fund within her office to help pay for those materials. The fund would receive $266,000 annually with an inflation adjustment every two years and would be used in conjunction with any other funds the state allocates for election materials. 

“Sustainable, predictable funding for election materials is really crucial to democracy,” Bellows said at a public hearing for LD 332 before the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

A representative from the League of Women Voters of Maine also spoke in favor of the bill. 

“The availability of funds for these ballots and associated materials should never be in doubt,” said Will Hayward, advocacy program director.

In addition to providing sustained funding, the bill would also continue the efforts of a working group to study the safety and accessibility of the 72 polling places located in Maine schools. 

Earlier in the meeting, Bellows presented a report on the group’s previous work, which included recommendations for municipalities and schools to create signed agreements that define who is responsible for accessibility and security. The group also recommended continuing their work throughout 2024 to keep looking into this topic. 

Avoiding the appropriations table for referendum funding

During the hearing, Hickman explained that this fund would also ensure that Legislature-approved ballot questions don’t die in the budget-making Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, which is sometimes used as a backchannel to kill an otherwise popular bill. 

While he didn’t have an example of a ballot initiative that wasn’t approved due to a lack of funding, Hickman claimed it almost happened with the right to food amendment approved by voters in November 2021. He said it took “political wrangling” to get that past the Appropriations Committee.

Hickman said he wants to create this account so “we don’t need to waste any time with the Appropriations Committee or have politics take over when all we’re trying to do is present to the people what we like for them to vote on.”

However, as Bellows noted at the hearing, LD 332 will still need to go to Appropriations for approval to be folded into this year’s budget.