Maine LD 507 will be heard in the Joint Committee on State and Local Government on Monday, March 9, at 10 a.m., in room 437 of the State House. This is the bill that sets a cap on the number of signatures needed for a candidate to get on the primary ballot of a party. The requirement could not be greater than 1% of any particular party’s registration. In Maine, only members of parties can sign primary petitions, and it is almost impossible for a small ballot-qualified party to comply with the existing law for statewide office and U.S. House. Those petitions are 2,000 signatures and 1,000 signatures, respectively.

No Maine ballot-qualified party, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, in the last 80 years, has been able to comply with the existing law for either House of Congress. With great difficulty, the Green Party has complied with the existing law twice for Governor. Thanks to Thomas MacMillan for this news.