Supporters of a proposal to bar foreign governments from contributing money to Maine referendum campaigns has gathered enough signatures to get a spot on the November 2023 ballot, the Maine Secretary of State’s Office said Thursday.
Petitioners gathered 67,550 valid signatures, the state said, more than the minimum 63,067 required. Citizen-initiated referendum campaigns must submit validated signatures equal to 10 percent of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election to get a question on the state ballot. Nearly 12,000 of the signatures submitted were ruled invalid, the Secretary of State’s Office said.
That measure will now go to the Maine Legislature, which can either adopt the proposal as written or send it to voters in November 2024.
Supporters say the initiative would close a loophole that allows foreign governments to spend money on referendum campaigns. State law already bars foreign governments from contributing to candidate campaigns.
In addition, the measure would direct the state’s congressional delegation to put forward a constitutional amendment to set campaign fundraising and spending limits across the country.
Supporters began circulating the petitions in late October 2021 and handed in the petitions a month ago.
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