RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Increase the Lengths of Terms of Members of the Legislature

Constitutional amendment. Resolved: Two thirds of each branch of the Legislature concurring, that the following amendment to the Constitution of Maine be proposed:

Constitution, Art. II, §4 is amended to read:

Section 4. Time of state election; absentee voting. The election of Senators and members of the House of Representatives shall be on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November biennially forever and the , except as provided in this section. Beginning with the general election held in 2016, the election of Senators and members of the House of Representatives shall be on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November every 4 years. The election of Governor shall be on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November every 4 years. The Legislature under proper enactment shall authorize and provide for voting by citizens of the State absent therefrom in the Armed Forces of the United States or of this State and for voting by other citizens absent or physically incapacitated for reasons deemed sufficient.

Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. First, §2, as amended by CR 2011, c. 1, is further amended to read:

Section 2. Number of Representatives; 4-year terms; division of the State into districts for House of Representatives. The House of Representatives shall consist of 151 members, to be elected by the qualified electors, and hold their office 2 4 years from the day next preceding the first Wednesday in December following the general election. The Legislature which convenes in 2013, and also the Legislature which convenes in 2021 and every 10th 12th year thereafter, shall cause the State to be divided into districts for the choice of one Representative for each district. The number of Representatives shall be divided into the number of inhabitants of the State exclusive of foreigners not naturalized according to the latest Federal Decennial Census or a State Census previously ordered by the Legislature to coincide with the Federal Decennial Census, to determine a mean population figure for each Representative District. Each Representative District shall be formed of contiguous and compact territory and shall cross political subdivision lines the least number of times necessary to establish as nearly as practicable equally populated districts. Whenever the population of a municipality entitles it to more than one district, all whole districts shall be drawn within municipal boundaries. Any population remainder within the municipality shall be included in a district with contiguous territory and shall be kept intact.

Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. First, §5 is amended to read:

Section 5. Election of Representatives; lists of votes delivered forthwith; lists of votes examined by Governor; summons of persons who appear to be elected; lists shall be laid before the House. The meetings within this State for the choice of Representatives shall be warned in due course of law by qualified officials of the several towns and cities 7 days at least before the election, and the election officials of the various towns and cities shall preside impartially at such meetings, receive the votes of all the qualified electors, sort, count and declare them in open meeting; and a list of the persons voted for shall be formed, with the number of votes for each person against that person's name. Cities and towns belonging to any Representative District shall hold their meetings at the same time in the respective cities and towns; and such meetings shall be notified, held and regulated, the votes received, sorted, counted and declared in the same manner. Fair copies of the lists of votes shall be attested by the municipal officers and the clerks of the cities and towns and the city and town clerks respectively shall cause the same to be delivered into the office of the Secretary of State forthwith. The Governor shall examine the returned copies of such lists and 7 days before the first Wednesday of December biennially quadrennially following the general election, shall issue a summons to such persons as shall appear to have been elected by a plurality of all votes returned, to attend and take their seats. All such lists shall be laid before the House of Representatives on the first Wednesday of December biennially quadrennially following the general election, and they shall finally determine who are elected.

Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Second, §5 is amended to read:

Section 5. Determination of Senators elected; procedure for filling vacancies. The Senate shall, on said first Wednesday of December, biennially until the election held in 2016 and quadrennially thereafter determine who is elected by a plurality of votes to be Senator in each district. All vacancies in the Senate arising from death, resignation, removal from the State or like causes, and also vacancies, if any, which may occur because of the failure of any district to elect by a plurality of votes the Senator to which said district shall be entitled shall be filled by an immediate election in the unrepresented district. The Governor shall issue a proclamation therefor and therein fix the time of such election.

Constitution, Art. V, Pt. First, §14, first ¶ is amended to read:

Section 14. Vacancy, how supplied. Whenever the office of Governor shall become vacant because of the death, resignation or removal of a Governor in office, or any other cause, the President of the Senate shall assume the office of Governor until another Governor shall be duly qualified. When the vacancy occurs more than 90 days preceding the date of the primary election for nominating candidates to be voted for at the biennial election next succeeding, the President of the Senate shall assume the office of Governor until the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday of January following the biennial election. At the biennial election, a Governor shall be elected to fill the unexpired term created by the vacancy. When the vacancy occurs less than 90 days preceding the date of a primary election the President of the Senate shall fill the unexpired term.

Constitution, Art. VI, §6 is amended to read:

Section 6. Judges and registers of probate, election and tenure; vacancies. Judges and registers of probate shall be elected by the people of their respective counties, by a plurality of the votes given in, at the biennial election on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November, and shall hold their offices for 4 years, commencing on the first day of January next after their election. Vacancies occurring in said offices by death, resignation or otherwise, shall be filled by election in manner aforesaid at the November election, next after their occurrence; and in the meantime, the Governor may fill said vacancies by appointment, and the persons so appointed shall hold their offices until the first day of January next after the election aforesaid.

Constitution, Art. IX, §4 is amended to read:

Section 4. Elections on the first Wednesday after first Tuesday of January may be adjourned from day to day. In case the elections, required by this Constitution on the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday of January biennially quadrennially, by the 2 Houses of the Legislature, shall not be completed on that day, the same may be adjourned from day to day, until completed, in the following order: The vacancies in the Senate shall first be filled; and the Governor shall then be elected, if there be no choice by the people.

Constitution, Art. X, §4 is amended to read:

Section 4. Amendments to Constitution. The Legislature, whenever 2/3 of both Houses shall deem it necessary, may propose amendments to this Constitution; and when any amendments shall be so agreed upon, a resolution shall be passed and sent to the selectmen of the several towns, and the assessors of the several plantations, empowering and directing them to notify the inhabitants of their respective towns and plantations, in the manner prescribed by law, at the next biennial meetings in the month of November, or to meet in the manner prescribed by law for calling and holding biennial meetings of said inhabitants for the election of Senators and Representatives, on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November following the passage of said resolve, to give in their votes on the question, whether such amendment shall be made; and if it shall appear that a majority of the inhabitants voting on the question are in favor of such amendment, it shall become a part of this Constitution.

Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: That the Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.

SUMMARY

This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to increase the length of the terms of State Senators and members of the House of Representatives from 2 years to 4 years beginning in 2016.