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An Act To Authorize Multiparty Candidate Nominations for State Offices
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §334, as amended by PL 2009, c. 253, §16, is further amended to read:
§ 334.Qualification of candidate for primary nomination
A candidate for nomination by primary election must file a primary petition and consent under sections 335 and 336. TheA candidate for federal or county office must be enrolled, on or before March 15th, in the party named in the petition, and a candidate must be eligible to file a petition as a candidate for nomination by primary election under section 144, subsection 3. The registrar in the candidate's municipality of residence must certify to that fact on a form designed by the Secretary of State.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §335, sub-§§1 to 3, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, are amended to read:
 
1. Content.   A primary petition must contain the name of only one candidate, histhe candidate's place of residence, histhe candidate's party, the name of the party from which the nomination is sought, the office sought and electoral division. A primary petition may contain as many separate papers as necessary and may contain the candidate's consent required by section 336.
 
A. When 2 United States Senators or 2 county commissioners are to be nominated, the primary petition must contain the term of office sought by the candidate.
 
2. By whom signed.   A primary petition may be signed only by voters of the electoral division whichthat is to make the nomination and who are enrolled in the party named in the petitionfrom which the nomination is sought. Other signatures are void.
 
3. How signed.   The voter must personally sign histhe voter's name in such a manner as to satisfy the registrar of histhe voter's municipality that hethe voter is a registered voter and enrolled in the party named on the petitionfrom which the nomination is sought. Either the voter or the circulator of the petition must print the voter's name.
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §335, sub-§7, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 253, §17, is further amended to read:
 
A. The circulator of a primary petition shall verify by oath or affirmation before a notary public or other person authorized by law to administer oaths or affirmations that the circulator personally witnessed all of the signatures to the petition and that to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief each signature is the signature of the person whose name it purports to be; each signature authorized under section 153-A was made by the authorized signer in the presence and at the direction of the voter; and each person is enrolled in the party named in the petitionfrom which the nomination is sought and is a resident of the electoral division named in the petition.
Sec. 4.  21-A MRSA §341  is enacted to read:
§ 341. Nomination by more than one party
A candidate may be nominated for a state office by more than one party. A candidate is not required to be an enrolled member of a party to serve as that party's nominee for state office.
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §601, sub-§2, ¶B, as amended by PL 2013, c. 131, §16, is further amended to read:
 
B. The ballot must contain the legal name of each candidate, without any title, and municipality or township of residence of each candidate, arranged alphabetically with the last name first, under the proper office designation. Municipality of residence is not required to be printed for candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The initial letters of the last names of the candidates must be printed directly beneath each other in a vertical line. The names of candidates for any one office may not be split into more than one column regardless of number. The name of each candidate may be printed on the ballot in only one space. For the general election ballot, the party or political designation of each candidate must be printed with each candidate's name. In the case of a candidate nominated for a state office by more than one party as described in section 341, the candidate's name must appear on the ballot once with the name of each party that nominated the candidate listed below the candidate's name. The party or political designation may be abbreviated.
 
SUMMARY
This bill allows a candidate to be nominated for a state office by more than one party. A candidate is not required to be an enrolled member of a party to serve as that party's nominee for state office. The name of such a candidate must appear on the ballot once with the name of each party that nominated the candidate listed below the candidate's name.