FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Contact: Kristen Schulze Muszynski
626-8404/ 441-7638

People’s veto effort to repeal vaccination law qualifies for ballot

AUGUSTA – The people’s veto petition effort to repeal Public Law 154 (LD 798) “An Act To Protect Maine Children and Students from Preventable Diseases by Repealing Certain Exemptions from the Laws Governing Immunization Requirements,” has submitted the required number of valid signatures to qualify for the 2020 statewide referendum ballot, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap confirmed today.

Proponents submitted 29,370 petitions with 95,871 signatures to the Elections Division on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019.
Staff members at the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions have completed the process of certifying the petitions and have found 79,056 valid signatures of registered Maine voters, while 16,815 are not valid.

State law requires a minimum of 63,067 valid signatures, which is 10% of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, for a successful people’s veto effort. As the effort has exceeded that threshold, the petition effort is deemed valid. The determination will be sent to Gov. Janet Mills to issue a proclamation declaring a public vote on the issue.

The vote must take place at the next statewide election that is not less than 60 days after the proclamation, which will be the March 3, 2020 presidential primary.

Signed Final Decision (PDF Format)