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

AUGUSTA — On Wednesday, the Maine Senate voted in favor of 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 a vote of 22-12.

“Maine has a strong tradition of civic engagement and high voter turnout. Thanks to common-sense measures we put in place for the COVID-19 pandemic, voters were able to make their voices heard in elections safely. It just makes sense to me that we keep those changes, to help voters and our hardworking election clerks,” said Sen. Luchini. “When more people are able to cast their ballot, our democracy is stronger. I’m proud to sponsor this bill, and I’m glad to see it get strong support in the Senate chamber.”

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 faces further votes in the Legislature.