Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §2528, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6, c. 9, §2 and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further amended to read:

3. Voting place specified; polls. The warrant for a town meeting for the election of officials shall must specify the voting place, which must be in the same building or a building nearby where the meeting is to be held. The warrant for a town meeting for the election of officials that occurs at the same time as voting in federal, state or county elections, but not at the same time as a town meeting held for other purposes, may specify the same voting places as those used by the town for federal, state or county elections. It shall The warrant must specify the time of opening and closing the polls, which must be kept open at least 4 consecutive hours.

A. In the warrant for a town meeting under this section, the municipal officers may designate the date of the election and designate another date within 14 days of the date set for elections as the time for considering the other articles of business in the warrant.

Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §2528, sub-§5, śC is enacted to read:

C.__If the warrant for a town meeting contains only articles for the election of the moderator and one or more referendum questions to be voted on by secret ballot, the municipal officers may specify the same voting places as those used by the town for federal, state or county elections.

SUMMARY

The purpose of this bill is to provide a town with the option to conduct an election at the usual locations instead of at a single location when a town meeting is being conducted for the exclusive purpose of voting by secret ballot. A change is not proposed for secret ballot voting occurring in conjunction with a town meeting for other purposes. This procedure is optional, so that no town is required to assume additional cost.