Voter ID referendum qualifies for Maine ballot

By Christopher Burns, Bangor Daily News Staff

Maine voters may decide this November whether to require an identification to cast a ballot.

Supporters of the voter ID referendum submitted at least 86,904 valid signatures, more than the 67,682 needed to qualify for the November ballot, according to the Maine secretary of state’s office.

The petition drive was organized by the Dinner Table, a political group led by Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, and activist Alex Titcomb.

Supporters argue that requiring voters to present an ID to cast a ballot will reduce fraud — which studies have repeatedly found to be extremely rare — while opponents say it may depress voter turnout.

Three dozen states require or request voters to present an ID at the polls.

In one 2023 poll, about 63 percent of Mainers supported requiring voters to present an ID to vote.

Other provisions of the referendum could prove less popular, including limiting absentee ballot dropboxes to one per municipality and requiring a “bipartisan team of election officials” rather than local clerks to pick them up.

The secretary of state’s office said Wednesday that the measure now goes to the Legislature, which could opt to enact the measure as written or send it to voters.