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Maine voters will see two statewide questions on the ballot for the Nov. 4 election.
Question 1 would alter voting requirements, especially for absentee ballots. Question 2 would establish a red flag law for Maine allowing families to directly petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from loved ones who they fear are a threat to themselves or others.
Question 1
Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?
This citizen-initiated question is very long for good reason. Although it is billed by its supporters as a question about voter ID, it does much more. Particularly, it will restrict absentee voting.
None of these changes are necessary. Even the backers of Question 1 acknowledge that voter fraud is not a problem in Maine. They argue instead that these changes are about building a better system for the future. One that voters will trust.
Maine’s current system works — and it has the public’s trust. It’s also worth noting that the narrative of voter fraud, perpetuated for years by President Donald Trump, has been widely discredited. Yet, the president and others continue to claim that election results they don’t like are the result of fraud. They’ve used this false narrative to weaken voter confidence in our elections and to push for restrictions on voting across the country, including Trump’s threat to end mail-in ballots.
We, and many others, have concluded that the long list of changes in Question 1 will likely depress voter turnout and cause some ballots to be rejected. The 12-page bill behind Question 1 would require voters to fill out an application to receive an absentee ballot, which must be returned via mail or in person along with a copy of the voter’s government-issued ID or an ID number. They must do this for every election.
This is just one example of the needless bureaucracy that will make it harder for many people to vote. It would also shorten the time period for returning absentee ballots and restrict the availability of ballot drop boxes. And, yes, voters would have to show a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot in person.
These new restrictions won’t improve elections in Maine. They’ll just make it harder to vote. Voters should reject Question 1.
Question 2
Do you want to allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or others?
Maine has what is known as a yellow flag law, the only one in the country. The law, the result of bipartisan negotiations and the involvement of diverse groups, allows law enforcement to initiate the process of temporarily removing firearms from people who are believed to be a danger to themselves or others. The law requires an assessment by a medical professional to make such a determination.
Although it was rarely used before, the law has been effectively used more than 1,000 times since the horrifying 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, which left 18 people dead and shattered many lives. It is often used to stop suicide attempts.
While that law has become more effective, there are times when families and loved ones feel that law enforcement is too slow to act. That was clearly the case with the Lewiston shooter, as an independent investigation into the shooting found, concluding that law enforcement had “sufficient probable cause” to use the state’s yellow flag law to disarm the shooter long before his rampage in Lewiston. The yellow flag law was not used. Several law enforcement officials told the Lewiston commission that the yellow flag law was “cumbersome, inefficient, and unduly restrictive,” according to the group’s report.
The law behind Question 2 would give families, who are typically closest to those in crisis, an avenue to petition a court directly to have firearms temporarily removed from someone they believe to be in danger or to pose a danger. Importantly, it would not repeal Maine’s yellow flag law. Instead, it would supplement it.
We support giving families this additional tool, which is available in 21 states.
The law is not perfect. It could still leave law enforcement and family members in the dangerous position of trying to remove guns from someone who is violent and, perhaps, unpredictable. Unlike the current law, it does not require a mental health evaluation, or protective custody. These are among the reasons the ballot question is opposed by Maine State Police, the governor and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. Question 2 is supported by the state’s medical associations, the Maine Education Association and the executive director of the commission that investigated the Lewiston shooting.
Neither the existing yellow flag law nor the proposed red flag law has provisions to help alleviate Maine’s chronic shortage of mental health treatment services. That is an ongoing challenge that the Maine Legislature needs to get much more serious about tackling.
The Maine Secretary of State’s citizen’s guide has more information about both of these ballot questions.
No matter how you vote on these questions, and the other issues and candidates on your local ballot, be sure to return your absentee ballot, vote in-person absentee if your town offers it or go to the polls on Nov. 4.
Election notice: The BDN will stop accepting letters and columns related to the Nov. 5 election on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Not all submissions can be published.
