Maine Expands Student ID Options
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed a bill into law last week to allow student IDs as valid forms of identification when registering to vote in Maine. House Bill 1575 was advanced by Democrats and adds student IDs from authorized colleges in the state, both public and private, to the short list of acceptable ID forms that voters can use when registering to vote. The law also requires municipalities to publicly post information from the Maine secretary of state about which voters are eligible to request an absentee ballot after the deadline has passed to ensure that voters are educated about their options. Finally, it allows the secretary of state to establish new rules about poll watchers and partisan workers present at polling locations.
State Rep. Jay McCreight (D), who proposed H.B. 1575, said it “defends voting rights and helps more Maine voters understand the election process” at a time when many state legislatures are working to restrict ballot access.