Voter ID effort likely heading to voters after lawmakers decline to advance bill

Alex Titcomb, campaign manager for the ballot question committee “Voter ID for ME,” described the initiative as a means to increase election security and transparency during a recent legislative public hearing. 

“On the note of transparency,” Veteran’s and Legal Affairs Committee co-chair Sen. Craig Hickman asked during the May 2 meeting, “do you think that it was transparent of your ballot question committee to include provisions in this law that have nothing to do with voter ID?”

When The Dinner Table PAC — founded by Titcomb and Republican Rep. Laurel Libby of Auburn with a mission to create a conservative majority in the Maine House of Representatives — launched the campaign in April 2024, it was branded as an effort to require voters to show photo identification at the polls. However, the official five-page petition submitted to the state in January seeks to change additional aspects of Maine election law, such as absentee voting.

“We weren’t hiding it,” Titcomb responded to Hickman. “It’s a publicly available document.” 

Though, Titcomb noted, most people who sign citizen petitions don’t take the time to read them in full. Maine’s citizen initiative process requires a certain number of voter signatures to get a question on the ballot and “Voter ID for ME” gathered well above that threshold.

As stipulated by the state constitution, the initiative first had to go to the Maine Legislature for consideration, and lawmakers could either enact the bill as written or send it to a statewide vote in November 2025. 

The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted unanimously against the legislation last week, with one member absent, which essentially sets it on the latter path to the ballot. The committee also rejected a few other bills with similar aims that could have set up competing ballot measures. 

The Department of the Secretary of State announced the final wording of the referendum question on May 5, which will capture the other aspects of the initiative in addition to the voter identification requirement following requests from the public during a comment period.

“The proposed measure has 28 sections, and Maine law requires that the question be presented in a clear, concise, and direct manner,” Bellows said in a statement to Maine Morning Star on Friday. “318 Mainers spoke up to share their thoughts and suggestions on the initial draft of the phrasing of the question. Given that feedback, the final question describes six changes to the voting process proposed by the underlying legislation.”

Conservative group behind voter ID effort submits 170k signatures to get on November ballot

It will read: “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?”

Under law, voters have the right to appeal the final decision on the wording within ten days and Titcomb filed a legal petition in Cumberland County Superior Court on Monday, arguing the final ballot language fails to meet the standards of clarity, accuracy and impartiality.

“Maine voters deserve a clear, honest question — not a partisan editorial from an official who’s already made her opposition clear in the press and in legislative testimony,” Titcomb said in a statement on Monday. 

Since Bellows called the petition “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” when the petition was first submitted to the state, 24 nonpartisan groups across Maine have since organized their own campaign against the measure, which they characterize as a voter suppression referendum.

The “Save Maine Absentee Voting” coalition kicked off its campaign on Saturday with a rally in Augusta, which had roughly 50 attendees and featured speakers from Democracy Maine, Maine Women’s Lobby, American Postal Workers Union, the Wabanaki Alliance and disability rights advocates. 

“This November, a ballot question will ask voters if they want to bulldoze absentee voting, a popular service among rural Mainers, and implement a highly restrictive voter ID law, among other changes to our elections,” said Anna Kellar, executive director of Democracy Maine. “We oppose these efforts and urge Mainers to vote no.”

Maine requires identification and proof of residency in order to register to vote but is among 15 states that do not require voters to present identification while at the polls.

The voter ID effort in Maine follows a national trend from Republicans pushing for such requirements, amid conflicting research on their impact.

Supporters of voter ID laws argue they’ll decrease the risk of fraud and increase confidence in election results. Meanwhile, opponents argue voter ID requirements block legitimate voters from casting ballots, create anti-immigrant sentiment and feed an unfounded fear of widespread voter fraud. 

In addition to requiring voter ID at the polls, the referendum in Maine also seeks to roll back ongoing absentee voting, which allows voters to have absentee ballots mailed to them automatically for each election cycle, and repeal the provision allowing immediate family members to drop off ballots for each other.

It would also remove the option for municipalities to get approval for multiple ballot drop boxes and change who can collect their contents. Currently, non-partisan municipal clerks are responsible for collection but the referendum would make it a “bipartisan team of election officials,” though it doesn’t specify how those teams would be decided. 

The petition also seeks to change the process for challenging someone’s right to vote. Under current law, it’s up to a challenger to prove that someone doesn’t have the right to vote in a certain election. The petition wants to shift the burden of proof onto the person being challenged. 

The one portion of the referendum that its organizers and voting rights groups agree is beneficial is that it would create an option for Mainers to get free nondriver identification cards.

Related measures also rejected by the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee last week included LD 38 sponsored by Sen. Jeff Timberlake (R-Androscoggin) — which the committee rejected 7-5, with one member absent — and LD 397 sponsored by Rep. Reagan Paul from (R-Winterport) — which was rejected unanimously, with one member absent. 

These bills will still head to the chambers for floor votes, however the committee’s recommendations set them up to be killed. 

The committee did not hold a hearing on LD 1880, sponsored by Libby, because it was nearly identical to referendum legislation. Instead, the committee voted it out as “leave to withdraw,” which essentially means the bill is dead, though it technically can be recalled with the support of a two-thirds vote of both chambers. 

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to mention the legal petition against the ballot question language filed after publication on Monday.