STATEWIDE- Following an impressive winter signature gathering effort, the Protect Maine Elections campaign is today announcing that it will continue collecting signatures in order to qualify its critically important initiative for the 2023 statewide ballot.

Protect Maine Elections (PME) seeks to give Mainers the opportunity to vote on a statewide referendum that will:

• Eliminate campaign spending by foreign governments in Maine elections;
• Require media companies to disclose illegal spending by foreign governments;
• Mandate disclosure by foreign governments on issue advertisements; and,
• Reaffirm Maine’s support for an anti-corruption amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“The groundswell of support this effort has received since we first launched our signature gathering effort in November has proven that Mainers of all political stripes are hungry to vote for these meaningful campaign reforms to protect our elections and our very republic itself,” said Sen. Rick Bennett, Protect Maine Elections Campaign Chair.

“Hundreds of dedicated volunteers across the state have braved the cold, dark winter months to collect well more than half of the signatures needed for us to place our initiative on the ballot and stop foreign governments and billionaires from buying our elections, once and for all,” said Kyle Bailey, PME Campaign Manager. “We look forward to completing this signature work over the spring and summer, continuing to educate voters about all that is at stake—our state’s sovereignty, our nation’s security and our children’s and grandchildren’s future economic prosperity, and winning this ballot measure with overwhelming support in November 2023.”

“American Promise is proud to stand with Maine against the corrupting force of powerful  outside money in elections that pushes aside the voices and concerns of the people who live and work here,” said Amy Cartmell, an American Promise volunteer leader in Freeport.

Jeff Clements, president of American Promise, added, “The rapid response of the people of Maine against the threat of foreign interference in our elections, and to demand that Congress move ahead with an anti-corruption amendment to the U.S. Constitution has given hope in a difficult time to Americans across the nation.”

The grassroots support for this initiative is greater than I’ve ever seen with a start-up campaign,” said Phil Steele, a volunteer leader with Protect Maine Elections and a veteran volunteer with many past referendum measures. “Mainers are committed to putting this question on the ballot and seeing it through to victory, despite the extraordinary obstacles presented by COVID. I’m proud to be a part of this landmark and truly bipartisan campaign.

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