• Read more about Citizen Initiative Regarding Campaign Spending Restrictions Found Valid with 67,550 Signatures

AUGUSTA — The citizen initiative petition regarding campaign spending restrictions has been found valid, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows confirmed today.

The petitions for "An Act To Prohibit Campaign Spending by Foreign Governments and Promote an Anticorruption Amendment to the United States Constitution" had been in circulation since October 27, 2021. On November 1, 2022 the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions received 11,292 petition forms with 79,660 signatures of voters who support the initiative.

• Read more about Secretary Bellows Modifies Ruling in Challenge to Trump Presidential Primary Petitions

AUGUSTA — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows issued a modified ruling regarding challenges brought by Maine voters to the nomination petition of Donald J. Trump for the Republican primary for the President of the United States.

• Read more about Corporate annual reports for 2022 now available

New Gender Parity Reporting Requirements for Businesses & Non-profits

AUGUSTA — The Secretary of State's Corporations Division has made the 2022 corporate annual reports available online. For the first time, under a new law, domestic publicly held corporations reporting with the Secretary of State will be asked to include how many women and men are serving on their board of directors in the interest of increasing information about gender equity in corporation leadership. 

• Read more about Two Maine students among first-ever ‘America’s Field Trip’ awardees

Second-Place Awardees from Maine to Receive $500 Cash Award

• Read more about Secretary Bellows Announces Final Wording on Two Referendum Questions

AUGUSTA — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced the final wording of two referendum questions on Monday.

The wording of the citizens’ initiative question entitled “An Act To Create the Pine Tree Power Company, a Nonprofit, Customer-owned Utility” will be:

• Read more about Citizens’ initiative for Automotive Right to Repair found valid with 74,686 signatures

AUGUSTA — The citizens’ initiative petition effort to allow vehicle owners and independent repair shops to access on-board diagnostic systems in vehicles has been found valid, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows confirmed today.

The petitions for "An Act Regarding Automotive Right to Repair" had been in circulation since October 14, 2022. On January 19, 2023, the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions received 10,289 petition forms with 83,252 signatures of voters who support the initiative.

• Read more about Hearings scheduled for challenges to Kennedy and West petitions

AUGUSTA — Hearings regarding challenges to the petitions filed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West to nominate slates of candidates for the office of presidential elector will be held on August 14 at the Maine State House, Room 228. The hearing regarding Kennedy’s petitions is scheduled for 9 a.m. and the hearing regarding West’s petitions is scheduled for 1 p.m. that day. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows will serve as the Presiding Officer at the hearings.

Three challenges were received by the Secretary of State on August 8:

• Read more about Secretary Bellows Announces New Wording on Referendum Question

AUGUSTA — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced the new wording of the referendum question for the citizens’ initiative entitled "An Act To Create the Pine Tree Power Company, a Nonprofit, Customer-owned Utility." The question will be:

"Do you want to create a new power company governed by an elected board to acquire and operate existing for-profit electricity transmission and distribution facilities in Maine?"

• Read more about New Maine laws in effect this week

AUGUSTA — Many new laws with regard to Maine’s Department of Secretary of State, made up of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions and the Maine State Archives, went into effect this week.

Unless specifically specified otherwise in legislation, new Maine laws go into effect 90 days after the end of a legislative session. For the 2022 legislative session, most laws went into effect on August 8.

• Read more about In-person absentee voting underway across the state

AUGUSTA — In-person, no-excuse absentee voting is underway in Maine’s towns and cities across the state for the Nov. 7, 2023 Referendum Election.

“There are many ways that Mainers can cast their ballot, depending on what works for them and their busy schedules,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “The ease and accessibility of no-excuse absentee voting for 30 days before an election is one of the reasons we’ve consistently been among the states with the highest turnout, including being first in the nation last November.”