March 2020 Maine Question 1

Maine Question 1 was a people's veto referendum that appeared on the March 3, 2020 statewide ballot. It sought to reject a law passed by the Maine Legislature that eliminated most exemptions from state child vaccination requirements, including religious exemptions. It qualified due to opponents of the law collecting the necessary number of signatures from registered Maine voters. This vote coincided with the Democratic and Republican primary elections to pledge delegates to party conventions that will choose nominees for President of the United States to run in the U.S. presidential election in November.

Question 1: People’s Veto
Do you want to reject the new law that removes religious and philosophical exemptions to requiring immunization against certain communicable diseases for students to attend schools and colleges and for employees of nursery schools and health care facilities?

Unofficial results show the veto effort being defeated by a large margin.[1]

Background

Maine Governor Janet Mills signed a law on May 24, 2019 to eliminate philosophical and religious exemptions to state vaccination requirements, citing outbreaks of whooping cough in three Maine counties and low vaccination rates as a need to protect public health and safety. This made Maine the fourth state to remove most exemptions; only medical exemptions will be permitted. The law will take effect in September 2021.[2]

Opponents of the law gathered and turned in signatures to Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap to force a referendum to reject the law, having over 79,000 valid signatures verified to send the issue to voters, well over the 63,067 required.[3]

Date of the vote

While signatures were being gathered, Dunlap's office told organizers of the veto effort that, if qualified for the ballot, the vote would coincide with state legislative and congressional primary elections in June 2020. However, that guidance failed to take into account the recent change in the law to hold primary elections for presidential nominees, as opposed to a caucus, on the March 3 Super Tuesday. That would make it the next statewide election and that the people's veto would be held on March 3. Organizers were opposed to this judgement, as without a contested Republican primary to draw Republican voters to the polls, as President Donald Trump was unopposed on the primary ballot in Maine, voters as a whole would skew Democratic. Organizers believe Democrats less amenable to supporting the veto. Dunlap's office admitted to the error of giving incorrect information, but said that it has no discretion over when to schedule elections. Supporters of the veto considered suing over the date of the election. In addition, Republican state representative Patrick Corey submitted a bill to exempt people's vetoes from being held with presidential primaries.[4][5]

Mills, as said in a radio address, opposes the veto effort.[6] The Bangor Daily News advocates a no vote as well.[7]

References

1. "'No' vote – to keep state's new vaccine law – wins by overwhelming margin". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
2. Simko-Bednarski, Evan. "Maine bars residents from opting out of immunizations for religious or philosophical reasons". CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
3. "People's veto of immunization law qualifies for 2020 ballot". WGME. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
4. "Organizers Of 'People's Veto' Initiatives Consider Suing Maine Secretary of State's Office". MPBN. August 10, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
5. "Windham Lawmaker Proposes To Exempt 'People's Veto' Votes From Presidential Primaries". MPBN. August 13, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
6. "Janet Mills opposes March referendum bid to overturn Maine vaccine law". Bangor Daily News. January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
7. "Vote no on Question 1. Don't let preventable diseases make a comeback". Bangor Daily News. February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.