FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Feb. 3, 2020
Contact: Kristen Schulze Muszynski
o: 207-626-8404/ c: 207-441-7638

Secretary Dunlap receives petitions for energy transmission project citizens’ initiative

AUGUSTA – Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap has received petitions for the citizens’ initiative “To Reject the New England Clean Energy Connect Transmission Project.”

Proponents of the initiative submitted an estimated 17,000 petition forms to the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions today.

The Secretary of State’s Office has 30 days to certify the petitions and determine if the threshold of registered voters’ signatures has been met. Proponents must submit at least 63,067 valid signatures of registered Maine voters. The petitioners report an estimated 75,253 signatures certified by municipalities.

If this effort is certified to have the required number of valid signatures, it will go before the Legislature for consideration. If the Legislature declines to enact it without change, Sec. Dunlap will draft the ballot question and accept public input on the wording. The finalized question would then go before voters at the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 General Election.

Visit the Maine Department of the Secretary of State’s webpage for more information about the citizens’ initiative process in Maine.