Maine rejects blanket voter ID requirements while Texas passes amendment enshrining ban on noncitizen voting

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine and Texas are the latest states to engage in a nationwide Republican push to enact strict voter ID laws and highlight the extremely rare problem of noncitizen voting, with voters set to decide ballot measures on the issues on Tuesday.

Texas voters approved a measure to amend the state constitution to add “persons who are not U.S. citizens” to the list of those excluded from participating in elections.

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Meanwhile, voters in Maine rejected a sweeping proposal centered on voter ID. The initiative would implement a photo ID requirement for voters, limit the use of drop boxes to return completed ballots and make several changes to the state’s absentee voting system.

Supporters said the initiatives would protect elections, while opponents claimed they were intended to make voting more difficult or address issues that were not major problems.

National Democrats heralded the defeat of the Maine proposal as a victory for voting rights.

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“Question 1 would have ended absentee voting as we know it, further weakening the voting rights of people with disabilities, seniors and Maine workers who cannot take a day off work to vote,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said.

Voters decided on the measures at a time when President Donald Trump and national Republicans have pushed for new voting restrictions. Republicans have promoted documentary proof of citizenship requirements at the national and state levels, but with limited success.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills is one of several Democrats in the state who have spoken out against the voter ID initiative. She said she saw it less as an opportunity to support the election and more as an attack on the right to vote itself.

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“Whether you vote in person or by absentee ballot, you can trust that your vote will be counted fairly,” Mills said before the final day of voting. “But this fundamental right to vote is under attack from the first question.”

Supporters of the voter ID push said it’s about making sure legal votes in the state are counted.

Maine’s proposal would also eliminate two days of absentee voting, ban absentee ballot requests by phone or family members, end persistent absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities and limit the number of drop boxes in the state, among other changes.

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The initiative comes as Maine investigates a claim that dozens of unmarked ballots, intended for use in this year’s election, were discovered inside a woman’s Amazon order. Maine Secretary of State Sheena Bellows said the State Department’s Law Enforcement Division is investigating the discovery with the assistance of the FBI and other state authorities.

The Texas proposal arrived as Republicans in the state also pushed for proof of citizenship proposals for voters. A Texas Senate bill on the subject failed to gain full legislative approval before lawmakers adjourned in June.

Voters in Texas already must certify that they are citizens when they register to vote. Thirteen other states have tried similar citizenship voting initiatives in recent years, and all have easily succeeded. More are expected next year.

Voting by non-citizens is already illegal and punishable by a felony and possible deportation. Some cities across the country allow non-citizens to vote in some local elections.

The League of Women Voters of Texas released a video in September highlighting some of the pros and cons of the proposal. She said supporters favor the constitutional amendment because it would be difficult to change in the future, while opponents believe the amendment is unnecessary because noncitizen voting is already rare and illegal in Texas.