An Act To Require Municipal Clerks To Issue Absentee Ballots Only To Residents Of That Municipality And To Eliminate Ongoing Absentee Voter Status

LD 718 requires Maine municipal clerks to issue absentee ballots only to voters registered in that specific municipality, including voters and designated immediate family members or third parties who are also registered residents. It eliminates the previous "ongoing absentee voter status" system, which allowed voters to receive ballots automatically for multiple elections without reapplying each time. The bill amends voting statutes to mandate residency verification for all absentee ballot requests and repeals provisions enabling indefinite absentee voting. This directly affects voters seeking absentee ballots, ensuring ballots are only sent to those currently registered in the requesting municipality.