AUGUSTA — The Maine Student Mock Election will be held with students at 138 schools around the state participating.
"Hands-on learning through a mock election is a great way to teach young Mainers about our electoral process, government and the importance of making their voices heard at the ballot box," said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. "Broad civics education is an important building block for the rest of their lives."
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.
AUGUSTA — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced the final wording of a referendum question on Friday.
The wording of the citizens’ initiative question entitled "An Act to Limit Contributions to Political Action Committees That Make Independent Expenditures" will be:
"Do you want to set a $5,000 limit for giving to political action committees that spend money independently to support or defeat candidates for office?"
Second-Place Awardees from Maine to Receive $500 Cash Award
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:
AUGUSTA — Governor Janet Mills and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows signed the proclamation announcing a special election for the Maine House District 24 seat will be held February 25th, 2025.
This House seat was previously held by State Representative Joseph C. Perry, who resigned having been elected State Treasurer on December 4th, 2024.
AUGUSTA — Based on initial results of the first choice votes in the General Election for Maine Congressional District 2, ranked-choice tabulation will be required, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced today. Additionally, State Representative Austin Theriault, the trailing candidate in initial results, has indicated he will seek a recount of the race. Any recount would follow the ranked-choice tabulation.
Both ranked-choice voting tabulations and recounts are public proceedings open to the public. The ranked choice voting tabulation will begin next week.
AUGUSTA — The Maine Permanent Commission on the Status of Women (MePCSW) and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows released the Commission’s Biennial Report today, focused on Maine women’s labor and economic security.
AUGUSTA — On National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Maine Town and City Clerks Association President and Kennebunkport Town Clerk Tracey O’Roak are encouraging Mainers to sign up to serve as poll workers in the upcoming November 5 General Election.
AUGUSTA — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is now accepting public comment on the wording of a citizen initiative question that will appear on the November 5, 2024 General Election ballot, unless enacted by the Legislature as written.
The department’s Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions certified An Act to Limit Contributions to Political Action Committees That Make Independent Expenditures in February. The ballot question, as drafted, reads:
