Senate enacts Sen. Luchini bill to support Maine’s strong voting laws

AUGUSTA — On Monday, the Maine Senate voted to enact a bill from Sen. Louie Luchini, D-Ellsworth, to help strengthen Maine’s voting laws. LD 1363, “An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Elections,” received unanimous, bipartisan support.

“Thanks to innovative steps taken last year for the November General Election, Maine voters were able to safely and securely cast their ballots, despite an ongoing pandemic. It just makes sense for the state to continue these smart innovations, so more Mainers can easily exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said Sen. Luchini. “I’m grateful for all the hard work that went into this bill, and to my colleagues in the Legislature for supporting it.” 

LD 1363 would make permanent many of the innovative measures the state put in place to make voting accessible and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those changes include maintaining secure drop-off boxes for absentee ballots, continuing the online absentee ballot tracker, and offering guidance to help clerks “cure” ballots to make sure citizens’ votes are accurately registered. 

“We’ve heard from Maine voters and local election officials that many of the changes enacted in 2020 to protect health, safety, and access to the ballot were beneficial, and we’re excited to continue them in future elections,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “Maine has a long history of leading the way on conducting free and fair elections with robust participation, and LD 1363 keeps us on that path.”

The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Janet Mills, who has 10 days to sign the bill into law, veto it or allow it to become law without her signature.