Voter ID law may be on Maine ballot next year

Nov. 11—Organizers of a citizen initiative to require Maine voters to show photo identification say they've gathered enough signatures to get the question before voters in a November 2025 referendum.

"We're looking forward to passing this popular initiative next year," said Alex Titcomb, the lead petitioner on the effort.

He said supporters have collected more than 165,000 signatures, including over 125,000 on Election Day alone, and will submit them to the Maine Department of the Secretary of State for review and certification.

The proposal would require people to present a photo ID at the polls or when requesting an absentee ballot, unless they have a religious exemption to being photographed.

Voters without a photo ID could cast a provisional ballot, which would be counted if they produce a photo ID within four days of the election. It would also require the secretary of state to provide free state nondriver IDs to people who need them.

Enacting a statewide voter ID requirement has been proposed repeatedly by Republicans in the Maine Legislature in recent years, but has been blocked by Democrats, who have criticized the costs of such a program and warned that the new requirement would create long lines at the polls and effectively discourage voting.

"This is a question that has been proposed through the normal legislative process many times over the last decade," said Titcomb, who is also the co-founder and executive director of The Dinner Table, an organization dedicated to conservative causes in Maine. "It has failed to be supported by the majority party that's been in control of the Capitol, so Maine people wanted to give it a go by putting it directly on the ballot for all Maine people to vote on it."

In order for citizen initiatives to get on the ballot, supporters must submit a required number of signatures from registered Maine voters to the secretary of state. That number is equal to 10% of the number of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, or 67,682 based on the results of the 2022 gubernatorial election.

Signatures must be submitted by Jan. 23 in order for questions to qualify for the November 2025 ballot.

The Legislature would also have the opportunity to consider the proposal as legislation if it meets the signature requirement. Only if lawmakers pass it as-is would it not go to voters for consideration.

Titcomb said supporters were at over 200 polling places and in every county on Election Day. "We're still organizing the petitions," he said. "Next week we'll start the process of bringing them to town clerks to certify the signatures and then we plan to submit to the secretary of state at the beginning of January."

Thirty-six states have some form of voter ID requirement. A dozen states have strict laws, meaning voters without IDs can only cast a provisional ballot and must take additional steps after the election to have their votes counted, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Nine states, including Georgia, Tennessee and Wisconsin, require a photo ID, while Arizona, North Dakota and Wyoming accept non-photo IDs.

In Maine, proof of identity and residency are required to register to vote, but registered voters are not asked for photo identification or other documents in order to receive a ballot.

The state is among 14 states and Washington, D.C., that have "non-documentary" ID requirements, meaning voters must verify their identity in other ways, such as by signing an affidavit or poll book, or by providing personal information such as their address, according to National Conference of State Legislatures.

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