Amy Fried is professor emerita of political science and the former John M. Nickerson Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. She publishes a newsletter on Substack, Political Sightlines. Fried is a member of the the national Scholars Strategy Network. Members’ columns appear monthly.

Maine has a lot to be proud of, including often the highest voter turnout in the country. But that record is now in danger.

I’m a retired political scientist. In July, I was part of a group of four scholars who submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Judicial Court on how ballots will describe Question 1. All of us have published peer-reviewed research on voting processes.

Based on evidence from the scholarly literature and data from the Secretary of State’s website, we argued it was important that voters know about the numerous changes that would occur if the referendum prevailed. That’s because, as we wrote, these new provisions were “not minor” with little impact. Instead, Question 1, which will be on ballots this November, would make voting more difficult.

Many Mainers vote absentee, which under Maine law includes early in-person voting and vote- by-mail. In fact, in November 2024, a whopping 45% — nearly half of Maine voters — used absentee ballots.

Voting surges during the final two days of early in-person voting, Wednesday and Thursday. Question 1 would eliminate them, cutting off voting a full week before the election. A shorter time period increases crowding on Election Day, making voting take more time for everyone. It also makes voting less convenient. Some Mainers simply won’t be able to fit voting into their schedules.

This shortened time would also apply to mail ballot requests. Delays in postal deliveries (which tend to affect rural areas more) means that some won’t get their ballots in time. Last year 61% of Mainers over 65 voted by mail.

Right now Maine seniors and disabled people can put themselves on a list to get an absentee ballot sent to them each election. Under current law, this option will be available to other Maine voters soon. But no one would be able to do so if the referendum passes. Research shows that being able to get ongoing absentee ballot status makes voting significantly more convenient and boosts turnout.

Voters and their family members can now request absentee ballots by phone. This makes voting easier for housebound Mainers, who are often seniors or people with disabilities. If this referendum passes, phone requests would be banned. So it’s more likely that a family member who can provide transportation would be asked to drive their loved one to vote in-person, perhaps on a snowy early November day when they usually have to work. Sometimes that won’t be possible.

Now absentee ballots can be requested online. But it’s unclear how Question 1’s photo ID requirement would sync with that. It would be hard or impossible for people without tech skills or certain equipment to upload images.

Question 1 would restrict voting by mail in other ways as well. Towns providing postage for returning ballots could no longer do so. Simultaneously, the referendum has new requirements. Ballots would have to be placed in an inner envelope on which voters have to write in specific ways; this then goes in the mailing envelope, increasing postage costs. Inadvertent errors would lead to ballot rejections. Moreover, the number of drop boxes would be limited.

Tribal IDs and student IDs couldn’t be used. States with highly restrictive photo ID requirements have lower rates of voting, particularly affecting voters who do not drive. Research consistently shows that all the proposed changes reduce voting.

If this referendum passes, voting in Maine will become more difficult, particularly for voters who are older, have disabilities, vote infrequently, are new voters, live in rural areas or work full time.

Consider Sarah Trites. She’s a typical Mainer because she always votes and has since she was 18. Because her mobility and vision is limited now, she has concerns about this referendum.

Trites can’t drive and, like in many Maine towns, there’s no public transportation. If Question 1 passes, she would no longer be able to request a ballot by phone or get it automatically every year. As Trites told Bolts reporter Alex Burness, “This would affect a lot of people … on both sides of the aisle, and this will be a big burden on all of us.”

Maine’s voting system works very well. Question 1 would make it harder for voters to get and cast a ballot. Why would we want to do that?