(The Center Square) — Maine’s highest court has cleared a statewide referendum for the November ballot that would require voter Identification to cast ballots in federal, state and local elections.
The ruling by Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court upholds a lower court ruling rejecting a lawsuit by Republicans and conservatives who claimed Secretary of State Shenna Bellows used “misleading” language for the ballot question. The justices said a review of the referendum’s wording determined that it “accurately identifies the legislation to voters by summarizing its contents to ensure that voters, who may be reading the question for the first time in the voting booth, will understand the subject matter and the choice presented.” “We assume that a voter reads the whole question, and we disagree that the Secretary’s ordering of the accurate summaries of the proposed amendments makes the question not understandable,” they wrote. The lawsuit alleges that the wording of the ballot question, released by Bellows on May 5, “fails to meet the constitutional and statutory standards of clarity, accuracy, and impartiality” and mischaracterizes the initiative’s provisions to suggest that it targets Maine voters who are elderly or have disabilities. It also argues that the secretary used “vague and confusing” language and “legal jargon” that didn’t appear in the original proposal. The plaintiffs said the ballot question also breaks with “historical precedents” by being the longest in Maine’s history, which they said would confuse voters who aren’t familiar with the issue. But the justices brushed aside those arguments, saying the referendum is “understandable to a reasonable voter reading the question for the first time” and not misleading. “Here, although the question is longer than most have been in the past, that is because it lists the salient features of the legislation in short, easily understood phrases,” they wrote. “The wording may be complex, but it is not complicated.” Bellows’ office certified the voter ID ballot question in February after organizers submitted more than 171,000 signatures from voters to qualify for the ballot.If approved by voters in the Nov. 4 elections, the measure would require Mainers to present a valid state ID or driver’s license to vote or request an absentee ballot for federal, state and local elections. Acceptable forms of ID would include a Maine driver’s license or identification card, a U.S. passport or passport card or U.S. military identification. Maine Republicans have pushed for years to require voter ID, citing polls showing bipartisan support for the requirements. Democrats who control the governor’s office and state Legislature have repeatedly rejected the proposals, arguing it will disenfranchise voters and create barriers to participating in elections.Bellows, a Democrat who is running for governor, has described the proposal as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” because it includes provisions she claimed will restrict voting access. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs argue Bellows has an “entrenched bias” that has influenced her wording of the referendum “undermining her duty to act impartially under Maine law.” At least 36 states require voters to present some form of identification before voting, but only nine of those states have strict photo ID requirements, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
