Title 21-A, Title 21-A

Any party committee that makes expenditures that aggregate in excess of $50 to any one or more candidates, committees or campaigns in this State shall keep records as provided in this section. Records required to be kept under this section must be retained by the party committee …

1. Reporting. Candidates who are involved in a recount of an election shall file a report 90 days after the election containing itemized accounts of cash, goods and services received for the recount and payments made by the candidate for the recount. The reports must be made on f…

Any membership organization or corporation that makes a communication to its members or stockholders expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate shall report any expenses related to such communications aggregating in excess of $100 in any one can…

1. Independent expenditures; definition. For the purposes of this section, an "independent expenditure" means any expenditure made by a person, party committee or political action committee that is not made in cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or sugges…

1. Registration. A candidate that fails to register the name of a candidate, treasurer or political committee with the commission within the time allowed by section 1013‑A, subsection 1 may be assessed a forfeiture of $100. The commission shall determine whether a registration sa…

This subchapter applies to the activities of political action committees and ballot question committees organized in and outside this State that accept contributions, incur obligations or make expenditures to influence the nomination or election of a candidate to state, county or…

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Campaign. "Campaign" means any course of activities to influence the nomination or election of a candidate or to initiate or influe…

A committee shall register with the commission and amend its registration as required by this section. A registration is not timely filed unless it contains all the information required in this section. [PL 2021, c. 217, §4 (AMD).] 1. Deadlines to file and amend registrations. A …

If an organization qualifies as a committee under section 1052, subsection 2 and that organization receives contributions or makes expenditures to influence a municipal election in towns or cities with a population of 15,000 or more, that organization shall register and file repo…

An organization that is registered as a political action committee, ballot question committee or political committee with the Federal Election Commission or a jurisdiction outside of this State shall register and file reports with the commission in accordance with this subchapter…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "House caucus leader" means a member of a political party in the House of Representatives who has been elected the leader of that political party i…

1. Appointment of treasurer. A committee required to register under section 1052‑A shall appoint a treasurer before registering with the commission. 2. Segregated campaign account. A committee registered under section 1052‑A shall establish a separate account in a bank or other f…

1. Duties of the treasurer. The treasurer of the committee shall ensure that the committee files and amends the committee's registration, files complete and accurate financial reports with the commission and maintains the committee's records as required by this chapter and the co…

1. Payments to Legislators. If a Legislator is a principal officer or treasurer of a political action committee or a ballot question committee or is one of the individuals primarily responsible for raising contributions or making decisions for a political action committee or a ba…

A political action committee that makes an expenditure to finance a public communication expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate or that names or depicts a clearly identified candidate is subject to the requirements of section 1014.

1. Public communications to influence ballot question elections. Whenever a person makes an expenditure exceeding $500 for a public communication expressly advocating for or against an initiative or referendum that is on the ballot, the public communication must clearly and consp…

Any committee required to register under this chapter shall comply with the following expenditure limitations. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Aggregate expenditures. A committee may not make contributions in support of the candidacy of one person aggregating more than the contri…

Any committee that is required to register under section 1052‑A or 1053‑B shall keep records as provided in this section for 4 years following the election to which the records pertain. [PL 2021, c. 217, §9 (AMD).] 1. Details of records. The treasurer of a committee shall record …

A committee required to register under section 1052‑A or 1053‑B shall file an initial campaign finance report within 7 days of registration or within 14 days of having been required to register, whichever comes first, and thereafter shall file reports in compliance with this sect…

The reports must contain the following information and any additional information required by the commission to monitor the activities of committees: [PL 2021, c. 217, §11 (AMD).] 1. Identification of candidates. The names of and offices sought by all candidates whose campaigns t…

This section governs the reporting of contributions aggregating in excess of $100,000 for the purpose of initiating or influencing a campaign for a people's veto referendum under the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 17 or a direct initiative of legislation u…

Whenever any committee determines that it will no longer accept any contributions or make any expenditures, the committee shall file a termination report that includes all financial activity from the end date of the previous reporting period through the date of termination with t…

1. Registration. A political action committee required to register under section 1052‑A, 1053‑A or 1053‑B or a ballot question committee required to register under section 1053‑A that fails to do so or that fails to provide the information required by the commission for registrat…

A committee that fails to keep records required by this chapter may be assessed a fine of up to $10,000 or the amount of financial activity for which no records were kept, whichever is greater. In assessing a fine, the commission shall consider, among other things, whether the vi…

The Secretary of State, the Treasurer of State, the Attorney General, the State Auditor, or any individual running for these offices, may not form a political action committee or be involved in decision making for or solicit contributions to a political action committee.

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Contribution" has the meanings given in section 1012, subsection 2 and section 1052, subsection 3. [IB 2023, c. 2, §1 (NEW).] B. "Electioneering c…

1. Distribution to candidates. At the time a candidate for the office of Governor, the Senate or the House of Representatives registers with the commission as required under section 1013‑A, the commission shall give the candidate a form containing a copy of the Maine Code of Fair…

The commission shall print, or cause to be printed, copies of the code for distribution to registered candidates.

The commission shall accept, at all times prior to the election, completed code forms that are properly subscribed to by a candidate.

The commission shall retain for public inspection all completed code forms accepted by the commission under section 1103. A code subscribed to by a candidate is a public record under Title 1, section 408‑A.

In no event may a candidate be required to subscribe to or endorse the code.

This chapter may be known and cited as the "Maine Clean Election Act."

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [IB 1995, c. 1, §17 (NEW).] 1. Certified candidate. "Certified candidate" means a candidate running for Governor, State Senator or State Representative who chooses to…

This chapter establishes an alternative campaign financing option available to candidates running for Governor, State Senator and State Representative. This alternative campaign financing option is available to candidates for elections to be held beginning in the year 2000. The c…

1. Established. The Maine Clean Election Fund is established to finance the election campaigns of certified Maine Clean Election Act candidates running for Governor, State Senator and State Representative and to pay administrative and enforcement costs of the commission related t…

1. Declaration of intent. A participating candidate shall file a declaration of intent to seek certification as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate and to comply with the requirements of this chapter. The declaration of intent must be filed with the commission prior to or during…

The commission shall adopt rules to ensure effective administration of this chapter. These rules must include but may not be limited to procedures for obtaining qualifying contributions, certification as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate, circumstances involving special electi…

1. Civil fine. In addition to any other penalties that may be applicable, a person who violates any provision of this chapter or rules of the commission adopted pursuant to section 1126 is subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 per violation payable to the fund. In addition to a…

By March 15, 2011 and every 4 years after that date, the commission shall prepare for the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over legal affairs a report documenting, evaluating and making recommendations relating to the administration, implementation …

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1993, c. 628, §2 (NEW).] 1. Block. "Block" means an area defined as a block in the United States Census for 1990. A block is the smallest census unit used in this…

For Legislatures beginning with the 131st Legislature, the State Senate consists of 35 Senators, with one Senator elected from each of the following districts. [PL 2021, c. 552, Pt. A, §1 (NEW).] 1. Senate District 1. Senate District 1, wholly located in Aroostook County, consist…

For Legislatures beginning with the 131st Legislature, the following House Districts are established. [PL 2021, c. 552, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).] 1. House District 1. House District 1, wholly located in Aroostook County, consists of the minor civil divisions and unorganized territories o…

The State is divided into 2 districts for the election of Representatives to the United States Congress as follows. [PL 2021, c. 552, Pt. C, §1 (NEW).] 1. First District. The First District consists of the counties of Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc and York and the followin…

Congressional districts must be reapportioned as follows. [PL 1995, c. 360, §1 (AMD).] 1. Procedure. In 2021 and every 10 years thereafter, when the Secretary of State has received notification of the number of congressional seats to which the State is entitled and the Federal De…

The state legislative districts established in this chapter must be reapportioned pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Part First, Section 2; Article IV, Part Second, Section 2; Article IV, Part Third, Section 1-A; and this section. When reapportioning districts, wh…

1. Implementation. The Secretary of State shall implement the election districts established in this chapter pursuant to this Title and the Constitution of Maine. The Secretary of State shall inform the municipal clerks of the voting district or districts in which each municipali…