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An Act Concerning Voter Registration
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §121, sub-§1-A,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §12, is further amended to read:
 
1-A. Identification and proof.   Registration applications taken by outside agencies must be transferred to the Secretary of State within 5 days of receipt. An applicant who attempts to register within 30 days of an election must be advised that the registrar might not receive the application before that election, but that the applicant may register in person before or on election day.
 
Registration applications received by the Secretary of State from outside agencies 30 days or more before an election must be transferred to the appropriate registrar's office within 7 business days of receipt. Registration applications received by the Secretary of State from outside agencies less than 30 days before an election must be transferred to the appropriate registrar's office within 5 business days of receipt. Registration applications by mail or by a 3rd person must be received in the registrar's office by the close of business on the 21st day before election day in order for persons' names to appear on the incoming voting list for that election. The 20-day period before the election is the closed period for outside registrations. The registrar shall send the notice required by section 122 to all voters whose applications were received by mail or a 3rd person by the 21st day before election day no later than the 18th day before election day.
 
A person who registers during the 20 days before election day or on election day shall register in person and show proof of identity and residency. If satisfactory proof of identity and residency can not be provided to the registrar or deputy, the person's name is entered into the central voter registration system and placed on the incoming voting list and the person casts a challenged ballot.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §122, first ¶,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 584, §3, is further amended to read:
A person may register as a voter by appearing before the registrar, proving that the person meets the qualifications of section 111, subsections 1 to 3, and filing an application provided by the registrar containing the information required by section 152 or 154, if applicable. Township residents may register as provided in section 156. A person may not vote in an election if the person registers under this section within 5 days of the election.
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §122, sub-§4,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §16, is repealed.
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §122, sub-§5,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §17, is further amended to read:
 
5. Alternative registration schedule for absentee voters.   If the clerk receives a properly completed absentee ballot application that is signed by a person who is not a registered voter in the municipality, a presumption of the person's qualification as a voter is established. The clerk shall send an absentee ballot to the voter at the address indicated, along with a voter registration application under section 152. The completed registration application must be returned to the clerk by the close of the polls onat least 6 days prior to election day in order for the ballot to be counted and may not be sealed with the voted absentee ballot. If the application is received during the closed period and the registrar is not satisfied as to the person's qualification as a voter, the registrar shall follow the requirements of section 121, subsection 1-A to place the person's name on the incoming voting list and challenge the absentee ballot.
 
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits a person from voting in an election if the person registers to vote within 5 days of the election.