Maine Revised Statutes > Title 21-A > Chapter 3 – Voter Registration

		Sections
Subchapter 1	Registrar of Voters	101 – 103
Subchapter 2	Voter Eligibility	111 – 115
Subchapter 3	Registration and Enrollment	121 – 159
Subchapter 4	Voting List	161 – 167
Subchapter 5	Register of Voters	172
Subchapter 6	National Voter Registration Act	180 – 182
Subchapter 7	Central Voter Registration	194 – 196-A
Subchapter 8	Help America Vote Act	221 – 222
Subchapter 9	Automatic Voter Registration	231 – 238

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 21-A > Chapter 3 - Voter Registration

Absentee voter: means a person who qualifies under section 751 to cast an absentee ballot. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
accumulated contributions: includes as much of the employer's contribution in the Retirement Allowance Fund as is needed to reach 7. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
Administration of civil justice: means activities relating to the anticipation, prevention, detection, monitoring or investigation of known, suspected or possible civil violations and prospective and pending civil actions. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 16 Sec. 803
Administration of criminal justice: means activities relating to the anticipation, prevention, detection, monitoring or investigation of known, suspected or possible crimes. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 16 Sec. 803
Adult: means a person who has attained the age of 18 years. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
Antibody to HIV: means the specific immunoglobulin produced by the body's immune system in response to HIV. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201
Any election: means primary and general elections and referenda, whether regular or special. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
Automobile graveyard: includes an area used for automobile dismantling, salvage and recycling operations. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 3752
Automobile recycling business: means the business premises of a dealer or a recycler licensed under Title 29?A, sections 851 to 1112 who purchases or acquires salvage vehicles for the purpose of reselling the vehicles or component parts of the vehicles or rebuilding or repairing salvage vehicles for the purpose of resale or for selling the basic materials in the salvage vehicles, as long as 80% of the business premises specified in the site plan in section 3755?A, subsection 1, paragraph C is used for automobile recycling operations. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 3752
Beano: means a specific kind of group game of chance, regardless of whether such a game is characterized by another name. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311
Benefit: means any payment made, or required to be made, to a beneficiary under chapter 423, subchapter V or chapter 425, subchapter V. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
Board: means the board of trustees, established under section 12004?F, subsection 9, to administer the Maine Public Employees Retirement System. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
Bona fide occupational exposure: means skin, eye, mucous membrane or parenteral contact of a person with the potentially infectious blood or other body fluids of another person that results from the performance of duties by the exposed person in the course of employment. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201
Bureau: means the Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 231
Business day: means any day of the calendar year other than a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Candidate: means any person who has filed a petition under either sections 335 and 336 or sections 354 and 355 and has qualified as a candidate by either procedure, or any person who has received contributions or made expenditures or has given consent for any other person to receive contributions or make expenditures with the intent of qualifying as a candidate. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Caucus: means a meeting of a political party or committee. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
Central voter registration system: means a single electronic information system and database for voter registration information maintained by the Secretary of State and used by all municipal jurisdictions in the State. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Challenged ballot: means a ballot cast by one whose eligibility to vote has been questioned during election day. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Closed period: means that time period when the registrar may accept only those voter registration applications presented in person. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Commercial beano hall permit: means written authority from the Gambling Control Unit issued to a permittee who rents or leases premises for profit to a licensee to hold, conduct or operate "beano. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311
Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
County office: means the office of judge of probate, register of probate, county treasurer, register of deeds, sheriff, district attorney or county commissioner. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Creditable service: means a person's membership service, the person's prior service and service for which credit is allowable under sections 17755 and 17756; section 17760, subsection 3; section 18258; sections 18355 and 18356; and section 18360, subsection 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
Criminal justice agency: includes the Department of the Attorney General, district attorneys' offices and the equivalent departments or offices in any federal or state jurisdiction. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 16 Sec. 803
Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
Department: means any department, commission, institution or agency of State Government including the Maine Community College System. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
Director: means the Executive Director of the Gambling Control Board and the Gambling Control Unit. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311
Dissemination: means the transmission of information by any means, including but not limited to orally, in writing or electronically, by or to anyone outside the criminal justice agency that maintains the information. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 16 Sec. 803
Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
Earnable compensation: includes :
(1) Workers' compensation benefits;
(2) Maintenance, if any;
(3) Any money paid by an employer to a 3rd party under a tax sheltered annuity contract or a deferred compensation plan for the future benefit of an employee provided that the money is not derived from amounts excluded from earnable compensation by paragraph B; and
(4) Pick-up contributions. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
Election official: means a warden, ward clerk, deputy warden or election clerk. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Election year: means the calendar year within which a particular election is held. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Electoral division: means an area set off for election purposes. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
Employee: means :

A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

employer of the person exposed: include a self-employed person who is exposed to the potentially infectious blood or other body fluids of another person. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

Enroll: means to enlist as a member of a political party. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Equipment: means the receptacle and numbered objects to be drawn from it; the master board upon which such objects are placed as drawn; the tally cards or sheets bearing such numbers to be covered and the objects used to cover them; the boards or signs, however operated, used to display the numbers as they are drawn; public address systems; and any other articles essential to the operation, conduct and playing of "Beano. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

Executive order: means an order of the President of the United States or the chief executive of a state that has the force of law and that is published in a manner permitting regular public access. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 16 Sec. 803

facility: includes a pharmacy licensed pursuant to Title 32. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

Federal office: means the office of the United States Senator or Representative to Congress. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.

General election: means the regular election of state and county officials occurring biennially in November. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.

Health care provider: means any appropriately licensed, certified or registered provider of mental or physical health care, either in the public or private sector or any business establishment providing health care services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

Health care setting: means any location where there is provision of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative, maintenance or palliative care, services, procedures or counseling, including emergency services performed in the field, and appropriate assistance with disease or symptom management and maintenance that affects an individual's physical, mental or behavioral condition, including the process of banking blood, sperm, organs or any other tissue. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

Highway: means any public way. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 3752

HIV: means the human immunodeficiency virus, identified as the causative agent of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

HIV antigen: means the specific immune-recognizable marker proteins of HIV. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

HIV infection: means the state wherein HIV has invaded the body and is being actively harbored by the body. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

HIV infection status: means the results of an HIV test. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

HIV test: means a test for the presence of an antibody to HIV or a test for an HIV antigen or other diagnostic determinants specific for HIV infection. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

Home rule authority: means the powers granted to municipalities under chapter 111; section 3001; and the Constitution of Maine, Article VIII, Part Second. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001

Immediate family: means a person's spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sister, half-sister, brother, half-brother, stepparent, stepgrandparent, stepchild, stepgrandchild, stepsister, stepbrother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, guardian, former guardian, domestic partner, the half-brother or half-sister of a person's spouse, or the spouse of a person's half-brother or half-sister. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

Incoming voting list: means the printed list of all of the voters in a municipality that is used by election officials at a voting place to record which voters have been issued a ballot at an election. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.

Informed consent: means consent that is:

A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

Intelligence and investigative record information: includes information of record concerning investigative techniques and procedures and security plans and procedures prepared or collected by a criminal justice agency or other agency. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 16 Sec. 803

Interstate System: means those portions of the Maine Turnpike and the state highway system incorporated in the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, as officially designated by the Department of Transportation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 3752

Junkyard: means a yard, field or other outside area used to store, dismantle or otherwise handle:

A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 3752

Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.

lands: includes lands and all tenements and hereditaments connected therewith, and all rights thereto and interests therein. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

License: means written authority from the Gambling Control Unit to hold, conduct or operate "Beano". See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

Licensee: means any organization, including a federally recognized Indian tribe in the State, that has been granted a license by the Gambling Control Unit to hold, conduct or operate "Beano" or "Bingo. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.

Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.

Local district: means :

A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

Location permit: means that card issued by the Gambling Control Unit, describing the premises or area in which "Beano" may be conducted. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

Majority: when used in reference to age shall mean the age of 18 and over. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

may: when used in this Title, is used in a permissive sense to grant authority or permission, but not to create duty, to act in the manner specified by the context. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 7

Member: means any person included in the membership of a retirement program of the retirement system, as provided in chapter 423, subchapter 2, or chapter 425, subchapter 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

Member: means a bona fide member of a firm, corporation, association, organization, department or class or a combination thereof who has been duly admitted as a member according to the laws, rules, regulations, ordinances or bylaws governing membership in the firm, corporation, association, organization, department, class or combination thereof. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

Month: means a calendar month. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

municipal clerk: means the clerk, deputy clerk or assistant clerk, where directed by the clerk to carry out duties under this Title, of a municipality. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Municipal committee: means a city, town or ward committee of a political party. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Municipal officers: means the mayor and aldermen or councillors of a city, the members of the select board or councillors of a town and the assessors of a plantation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Municipal officers: means the mayor and municipal officers or councilors of a city, the members of the select board or councilors of a town and the assessors of a plantation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

Municipal officers: means :

A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001

Municipality: means a city, town or plantation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Municipality: includes cities, towns and plantations, except that "municipality" does not include plantations in Title 10, chapter 110, subchapter IV; or Title 30?A, Part 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

Municipality: means a city or town, except as provided in chapter 225. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001

Oath: includes an affirmation, when affirmation is allowed. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

Oath: A promise to tell the truth.

Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.

Online voter registration application: means the electronic voter registration application form created by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 152 and available on the Secretary of State's publicly accessible website and through which, in accordance with the rules adopted under section 152, subsection 6, an individual may register to vote and enroll in a party or a registered voter may enroll in a party, change the voter's party enrollment, withdraw from a party or notify the appropriate registrar of voters of a change in the voter's name or address when the voter's name is changed due to marriage or other process of law or when the voter has moved within a municipality. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Organization: means any firm, association or corporation authorized to conduct "Beano" in accordance with this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

Overseas voter: means :

A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.

Participating local district: means a local district that has approved the participation of its employees in the Participating Local District Retirement Program of the retirement system under section 18201. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.

Party: means a political organization which has qualified to participate in a primary or general election under chapter 5. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Pending voter registration record: means the electronic record created by a source agency that contains the personal identification information, including name, age, citizenship and legal residence, and other information required by section 152 of a person who is in the process of being considered for voter registration. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 231

Period: means the number of calendar weeks authorized by a single license for the operation of "Beano" or "Bingo. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

Permittee: means an individual, corporation, partnership or unincorporated association that rents or leases a building or facilities for profit to a licensee to hold, conduct or operate "beano. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

Person: means any natural person, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization, association or group, however organized. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

Person: means an individual, corporation, partnership, firm, organization or other legal entity. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001

Personal property: All property that is not real property.

Pick-up contributions: means member contributions to the retirement system which are assumed and paid by the employer through a reduction of members' salaries for services rendered, in accordance with the United States Internal Revenue Code, Section 414(h), in lieu of employee contributions. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.

Population: means the population determined by the last Decennial Census of the United States. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Primary election: means the regular election for the election of nominees of a party for the general election. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Primary System: means that portion of the state highway system which the Department of Transportation has by official designation incorporated into the Federal-Aid Primary System. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 3752

Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.

Proof of voter eligibility: means reliable evidence of a person's eligibility to vote and must include proof of age, citizenship and residence. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 231

Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.

Question: means any proposition submitted to the voters. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Real estate: includes lands and all tenements and hereditaments connected therewith, and all rights thereto and interests therein. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

Registrant: means a person or organization registered with the Gambling Control Unit to hold, conduct or operate beano games for which a license is not required. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

Registrar: means the registrar or deputy registrar of voters of a municipality. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.

Residence: means that place where the person has established a fixed and principal home to which the person, whenever temporarily absent, intends to return. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

residence: refer to an individual's place of domicile. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001

Residence address: means the street and number or other designation indicating the physical location of a person's residence. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Retirement: means termination of membership with a retirement allowance granted under this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

Retirement system: means the Maine Public Employees Retirement System. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

Seropositivity: means the presence of antibody to HIV as detected by appropriate laboratory tests. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

Service: means service as an employee for which compensation was paid. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

Signature: includes a signature stamp and a signature written by another registered voter on behalf of an individual in accordance with the procedure set forth in section 153?A and, for an individual who is unable to sign that individual's own name, a mark. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Source agency: means the bureau and a state agency or department or other entity designated as a source agency pursuant to section 233, subsection 1 that, as part of the normal course of business of that entity, collects documents that contain personal identification information that provides proof of voter eligibility. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 231

State: means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 16 Sec. 803

State employee: means any regular classified or unclassified officer or employee in a department, any employee of the Maine Community College System except those who make the election provided under Title 20?A, section 12722, any employee of the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf except as provided in Title 20?A, section 7407, subsection 3?A, any employee of the Maine Military Authority, any employee of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, any employee of the Maine Port Authority, any employee of the Efficiency Maine Trust who on June 30, 2009 is an employee of the Public Utilities Commission energy efficiency or renewable energy programs who elects to remain a state employee, any employee of the Efficiency Maine Trust who accepts employment with the Efficiency Maine Trust prior to July 1, 2010 who was a state employee immediately prior to accepting such employment who elects to remain a state employee and any employee transferred from the Division of Higher Education Services to the Finance Authority of Maine who elects to be treated as a state employee, but does not include:

A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

Statute: means an Act of Congress or an act of a state legislature or a provision of the Constitution of the United States or the constitution of a state. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 16 Sec. 803

Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.

Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.

Teacher: includes a person who is on a one-year leave of absence from a position as a teacher and is participating in the education of prospective teachers by teaching and supervising students enrolled in college-level teacher preparation programs in this State. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001

Testify: Answer questions in court.

Town: includes cities and plantations, unless otherwise expressed or implied. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

Township: means unorganized territory. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Treasurer: means a person appointed by a candidate or a political committee to accept or disburse money to promote or defeat a candidate, party or principle. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.

Uniformed service: means the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, the commissioned corps of the United States Public Health Service and the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Uniformed service voter: means :

A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

unit: means the bureau within the Department of Public Safety under Title 25, section 2902, subsection 12 or an authorized representative of the Gambling Control Unit. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17 Sec. 311

United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72

Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.

Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.

Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.

Viral positivity: means demonstrated presence of HIV. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201

Voter: means a person registered to vote. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Voter participation history: means the indication in the central voter registration system of whether a voter has cast a ballot in a certain election, as reflected on the incoming voting list for that election. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Voting district: means an area set off from another in the same municipality for voting purposes. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Voting place: means the building in which ballots are cast at an election. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Warden: means the presiding officer at a voting place. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1

Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.

Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72