The wording of the citizens’ initiative question entitled “An Act To Require Legislative Approval of Certain Transmission Lines, Require Legislative Approval of Certain Transmission Lines and Facilities and Other Projects on Public Reserved Lands and Prohibit the Construction of Certain Transmission Lines in the Upper Kennebec Region” that will appear on the Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021 Referendum Election ballot is now finalized, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced Monday. The question will be as follows:
Do you want to ban the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region and to require the Legislature to approve all other such projects anywhere in Maine, both retroactively to 2020, and to require the Legislature, retroactively to 2014, to approve by a two-thirds vote such projects using public land?
The full text of the proposed bill is available for viewing on the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions Citizens Initiatives webpage https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/citizens/index.html , along with proponent information.
Secretary Bellows received 119 comments on the proposed ballot question during the 30-day public comment period, which was open Tuesday, April 13 through Thursday, May 13. These comments, from individuals and organizations throughout the state, were taken into consideration to draft the final language of the ballot question.
The Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions will be creating a Citizens Guide to the 2021 Election in the coming months and all voters are encouraged to read it to inform themselves of the details of the bill.
In addition to the citizens initiative question, the November Referendum Election ballot may also include bond issues, Constitutional Resolutions or other referenda questions that the Legislature chooses to send to the voters. Any such ballot questions will be included on the Upcoming Elections page https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/index.html .
