AUGUSTA, Maine – A measure that would have ensured only American citizens can vote in Maine elections again has gone down in defeat.
LD175 died May 12 in the House Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. Rep Laura D. Supica (D-Bangor) made the Ought Not To Pass motion, and it was seconded.
This is at least the second time Democrats have killed such a measure. In 2019, LD186 failed in the House when Sara Gideon was Speaker. She later ran for the U.S. Senate and was defeated by Susan Collins.
Jack Tomczak of Americans for Citizen Voting.
| Provided
In recent years, Americans for Citizen Voting has worked to have similar measures adopted in states. Last November, eight states (Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin) passed laws to keep non-citizens from voting.
Currently, 20 states have laws to make sure only American citizens can vote in that state, and several other states are actively considering such legislation. Last week, Texas lawmakers voted to put the issue before voters on this fall’s general election ballot. Texas joins Arkansas, Kansas and South Dakota in having passed similar measures this year.
Six years ago, ACV made sure Maine voters knew Gideon opposed the idea.
“Citizen Only Voting is a non-partisan issue for the voters but for some reason it gets very partisan in legislatures,” said Jack Tomczak, vice president of ACV. “There is no good reason that Democrat legislators continue to go against the wishes and interests of their Democrat voters.
“Politicians who think foreign citizens should be voting in American elections suffer the consequences at the ballot box. Just ask former speaker Sara Gideon.”
Portland unsuccessfully has tried to allow non-citizen voting in municipal elections a handful of times. The city put the question to a municipal ballot in 2010, but voters defeated it. Still, city council continues to discuss the issue.
LD175 would have changed wording in the state constitution to make it clear only United States citizens can vote in Maine. It would have amended the constitution to say only citizens of the United States who are 18 and older and who are residents of Maine are eligible to vote. The word only would have replaced the word every.
Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) was the bill’s sponsor.
Opponents of the measure have said non-citizens already are not allowed to vote, but supports say the change is needed to ensure it doesn’t happen.
“When non-citizens who are not subject to the full legal obligations and responsibilities of citizenship are permitted to vote, it dilutes the voice of lawful citizens and it raises concerns about the integrity of our electoral process,” Libby said during a committee hearing in February.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said the change isn’t needed.
“Non-citizens are prohibited from voting in Maine,” she said during that same committee hearing. “The lie of non-citizen voting, either that it is something that is allowed or something that’s prevalent, has persisted for years, but it is just that – a lie.”