Title 21-A, Title 21-A

1. Access to data from the central voter registration system. For the purposes of Title 1, section 402, information contained electronically in the central voter registration system and any information or reports generated by the system are confidential and may be accessed only b…

The Secretary of State is the coordinator of the State's responsibilities under the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252.

The Secretary of State is authorized to adopt rules establishing an administrative procedure for handling complaints relating to compliance with the provisions of Title III of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical …

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2019, c. 409, §6 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 409, §9 (AFF).] 1. Bureau. "Bureau" means the Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles. 2. Pending vo…

1. Application for driver's license or nondriver identification card; creation of pending voter registration record. If an individual applies for, renews or updates a driver's license or nondriver identification card from the bureau, unless the individual opts out under section 2…

1. Designation of source agencies. The Secretary of State may designate a state agency or department as a source agency if the Secretary of State verifies that the agency or department, as part of the normal course of business of that agency or department, collects documents that…

1. Opportunity to opt out. Any document or application used by a source agency in the normal course of business of that agency to collect proof of voter eligibility data must contain notice that, unless the applicant declines, the information provided by the applicant could be us…

1. No individual liability for error by State. If an individual who is ineligible to vote becomes a registered voter pursuant to this subchapter, that individual's registration is deemed to be the fault of the State and not attributable to or the fault of the individual. 2. Provi…

A person acting under color of law may not discriminate against an individual on the basis of the individual's absence from the central voter registration system, the information supplied by the individual for voter registration purposes at a source agency or the individual's dec…

1. Audit of data. The Secretary of State shall audit the central voter registration system for quality of data prior to implementation of the automatic voter registration system pursuant to this subchapter and shall periodically thereafter conduct regular audits and random checks…

1. No change to authority to maintain voting lists. This subchapter may not be construed to interfere with any election official's authority or obligation, under state or federal law, to: A. Determine whether an individual is qualified to be a voter; or [PL 2019, c. 409, §6 (NEW)…

1. Primary election. A party qualifies to participate in a primary election if its designation was listed on the ballot of either of the 2 preceding general elections and if: A. The party held municipal caucuses as prescribed by Article 2 in at least one municipality in a minimum…

A party whose designation was not listed on the general election ballot in the last preceding general election qualifies to participate in a primary election, if it meets the requirements of subsections 1 and 2. [PL 1999, c. 450, §2 (AMD).] 1. Declaration of intent. A voter or a …

In addition to the procedure under section 302, a party whose designation was not listed on the general election ballot in the last preceding general election qualifies to participate in a primary election if it meets the requirements of subsections 1 and 2. [PL 2013, c. 131, §11…

If the Secretary of State determines that a party has not met the requirements to qualify as a party pursuant to section 303, the proposed party may challenge that determination. The procedure for challenging the determination is as follows. [PL 2017, c. 254, §3 (NEW).] 1. Challe…

A party that does not meet the requirements of section 301 is not qualified to participate in a subsequent election.

The Secretary of State shall determine whether or not a party has met the requirements of sections 301, 302 and 303.

1. Voters enrolled in parties that fail to qualify. If the Secretary of State determines that a qualifying party has failed to meet the requirements of section 302 or 303, the Secretary of State must change the status of voters enrolled in that qualifying party in the central vot…

A voter or group of voters seeking to participate as a party in a primary election under section 302 or 303 must choose a party designation that does not: [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Length. Exceed 3 words in length; 2. Use state name. Incorporate the name or an abbreviation …

A qualified or qualifying party may voluntarily relinquish its qualified or qualifying status by filing a written request with the Secretary of State signed by the statewide chair following an affirmative vote by the party's state committee to relinquish its qualified or qualifyi…

A biennial municipal caucus may be held by any political party for the purpose of electing delegates to a state convention and for any other business governed by the following provisions. [PL 2005, c. 387, §3 (AMD).] 1. Call and location of caucus. The caucus may be called by the…

The chair or secretary of the municipal committee or the person or persons calling a biennial municipal caucus, including any resident voter pursuant to section 311, subsection 5, may request a list of registered voters pursuant to section 196‑A, subsection 1 for use by the munic…

The following provisions apply to voting at a municipal caucus. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Vote by list. The caucus may order voting to be done by checking each voter's name on the municipal caucus list of registered voters from the central voter registration system pursuant…

An enrolled voter of a municipality may challenge the right of another to vote at a municipal caucus. The person challenged may vote at the caucus after that person has taken the following oath administered by the chair of the caucus. [RR 2019, c. 2, Pt. B, §39 (COR).] 1. Oath. "…

The members of a party within a municipality shall determine the method of election, the terms of office and the duties of their political committees.

Each party shall hold a state convention between March 1st and August 1st biennially during each general election year. [PL 2005, c. 387, §4 (AMD).] 1. Time, place and representation. The party's state committee shall determine the time, place and basis of representation for the …

State, congressional district and county committees of qualified political parties are governed by the following provisions. [PL 2005, c. 387, §5 (AMD).] 1. Committees to organize and report. The secretary of each committee shall notify the state committee of the name and residen…

1. Nomination by primary election. A party's nomination of a candidate must be made by primary election, as provided in this Article. When there is an office for which no candidate has qualified either by filing a petition and consent under sections 335 and 336 or as a write-in c…

When a person already nominated for any federal, state or county office accepts nomination to fill a vacancy, the first nomination is vacated by that acceptance.

A candidate for any county office must be a resident of and a voter in the electoral division the candidate seeks to represent on the date established for filing primary petitions in the year the candidate seeks election. The elected official must maintain a voting residence in t…

A candidate for nomination by primary election must file a primary petition and consent under sections 335 and 336. The candidate must be enrolled, on or before March 15th, in the party named in the petition and must be eligible to file a petition as a candidate for nomination by…

A primary petition shall be on a form provided by the Secretary of State and is governed by the following provisions. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Content. A primary petition must contain the name of only one candidate and that candidate's municipality of residence, party, off…

The written consent of each candidate must be filed either with that candidate's primary petition or at any earlier time during which signatures may be collected under section 335 or, if applicable, subchapter 8. [PL 2023, c. 304, Pt. A, §5 (AMD).] 1. Consent. The consent must co…

1. Review. When presented with a primary petition, the Secretary of State shall review it and, if the petition contains the required minimum number of certified names and is properly completed, shall accept and file it. If a petition contains more valid signatures than the maximu…

A person whose name will not appear on the printed primary ballot because that person did not file a petition and consent under sections 335 and 336, but who fulfills the other qualifications under section 334, may be nominated at the primary election as a write-in candidate in a…

The primary election shall be held on the 2nd Tuesday of June of each general election year and is considered to be a separate election for each party which takes part in it. This includes the duties of public officials in announcing the election, providing forms and ballots, kee…

A registered voter not enrolled in a political party may participate, subject to the restrictions of section 145, subsection 3, in a party's primary election without enrolling in that political party. An unenrolled voter may vote in only one party's primary election. The Secretar…

The nomination of a candidate, other than by a party, for any federal, state or county office must be made by petition, as provided in this subchapter. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Limited to one office. A person may not file, whether by primary election or nomination petition…

A candidate for the office of presidential elector or any county office must be a resident of and a voter in the electoral division the candidate seeks to represent on the date established for filing nomination petitions in the year the candidate seeks election. The elected offic…

A person who seeks nomination by petition qualifies by filing a nomination petition and consent as provided in sections 354 and 355. If enrolled, the person must also withdraw enrollment in a party on or before March 1st to be eligible to file a petition as a candidate in that el…

A nomination petition shall be on a form provided by the Secretary of State and is governed by the following provisions. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Content. A nomination petition must contain the name of only one candidate, the candidate's municipality of residence, the offi…

The written consent of each candidate must be filed either with that candidate's nomination petition or at any earlier time during which signatures may be collected under section 354 or, if applicable, subchapter 8. [PL 2023, c. 304, Pt. A, §6 (AMD).] 1. Consent. The consent must…

1. Review. When presented with a nomination petition, the Secretary of State shall review it and, if the petition contains the required minimum number of certified names and is properly completed, shall accept and file it. If a petition contains more valid signatures than the max…

The Secretary of State shall immediately certify by mail the nomination of each person nominated by petition.

A vacancy in any federal, state or county office, in the office of an election official or in any political committee occurs when the incumbent dies, resigns, becomes disqualified or changes the incumbent's residence to an electoral division other than that from which the incumbe…