Maine: Eliminate Foreign Influence in Elections
Campaign Status: Active
The Policy
LD1610 / IB 1 “An Act To Prohibit Campaign Spending by Foreign Governments and Promote an Anticorruption Amendment to the United States Constitution” would eliminate foreign influence in Maine elections by instituting new restrictions on foreign governments from spending in Maine elections.
Background
Currently a loophole in Maine election law allows foreign entities to engage in PAC spending on ballot questions. In 2021, a Canadian-owned pipeline funneled $22 million into a ballot question – more than doubling the previous record for referendum spending – brought by Maine voters to oppose an unpopular pipeline. Even though they were defeated at the ballot, foreign government interference in elections threatens democracy and national security.
Who’s Involved?
RepresentUs is working with Protect Maine Elections, a coalition that includes partners like the League of Women Voters Maine, Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, Stand with Maine, and Maine Unitarian Universalist State Advocacy Network, to ensure foreign governments are limited in their ability to influence campaigns and elections.
GET INVOLVED
You can make an impact on this campaign no matter where you live.

The Latest On This Campaign

Opinion: Maine business should join effort to end foreign interference in our elections
Apr 21 2022
But when it comes to local politics, we think it’s important to leave issues impacting Mainers to Maine residents and voters themselves.
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Letters: Referendum would prevent foreign influence of Maine elections
Apr 8 2022
We must do everything that we can do to protect our state and elections from undue foreign influence.
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Rep. Jennifier Poirier: Foreign governments exploit Maine election loophole
Feb 17 2022
We have allowed a foreign government-owned company to exploit a loophole in Maine law to electioneer here, and the results were and continue to be quite ugly.
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