FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 18, 2024

Bellows confirms Libertarian Party as Qualified Party in Maine

AUGUSTA — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has confirmed the Libertarian Party as a Qualified Party in Maine.

The party submitted the State of Maine Certification of Enrollment Requirement to Form a New Party by Party Enrollment form on Jan. 2, 2024. This triggered a review of the number of party enrollees to ensure that the Libertarian Party had at least the required 5,000 voters enrolled in the Party to qualify the party to participate in the Primary Election to be held Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

As of Jan. 2, 2024, there were 5,168 Maine voters enrolled in the Libertarian Party.

Qualified Party status means that the Libertarian Party will also have ballot access for General Election for the presidential race.

Secretary Bellows notified the Libertarian Party of their Qualified Party status last week, including the requirements in Maine election law for Qualified Parties to hold municipal caucuses, conventions, and vote share or enrollment minimums to maintain Qualified Party status.

The Libertarian Party joins the Democratic, Green Independent, No Labels and Republican Parties as Qualified Parties in Maine.

Two other parties had filed to begin enrolling new voters towards new party formation. Neither the Forward Party nor the People’s Party, however submitted the State of Maine Certification of Enrollment Requirement to Form a New Party by Party Enrollment form by the Jan. 2, 2024 deadline to potentially become Qualified Parties.

2024 Semi-Open Primaries

Maine’s 2024 primaries will be held under the new semi-open primary law. Unenrolled voters now have the option to vote in any party primary without having to enroll in the party. Unenrolled voters may only vote in one party’s primary.

Voters enrolled in a party must vote that party’s primary ballot. Enrolled voters do not have the option to select another party’s ballot unless they change enrollment at least 15 days prior to the primary. When voters enroll in a new party they may not change their party enrollment for 3 months, unless they move to a new municipality and establish a new voting residence there.

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