The Dinner Table, a grassroots PAC created by Maine State Representative Laurel Libby (R-Auburn/ Minot) and activist Alex Titcomb, celebrates a tremendous Election Day victory. It did not involve a candidate but a petition initiative that has been the focus of The Dinner Table for nearly a year. The petition requests the placement of a question on the November 2025 ballot to allow the people of Maine to decide if a photo ID will be required to vote in any Maine election.
Voter ID has been a hot-button partisan issue across America, with Republicans supporting the practice to help ensure voter credibility. Democrats vehemently argue that requiring an ID is an effort by Republicans to suppress the voting process. The Dinner Table says to let the people decide, and the success of the Voter ID for Me petition drive ensures that a vote will happen.
Voter ID for Me was the name of the movement coordinated by The Dinner Table and driven by hundreds of volunteers. Lana Hall, the volunteer coordinator, tirelessly worked 24/7, pulling the strings of the volunteers and keeping them focused, motivated, and on track. Phone calls, letter writing, and door-knocking were some of the activities carried out by the volunteers. As of Primary Day, about 40,000 signatures had been collected, and the goal of Election Day, the final push, was to garner 60,000 signatures to give the group a total of 100,000. This number would have given a sufficient buffer to survive all challenges and still have the necessary 67,000 to impact the ballot. The group blew away expectations and gathered 125,000 signatures on Election Day. These results reinforce the feeling of the voters that the election process must be tightened up.
To be honest and provide full disclosure, my partner, Sharon, and I are members/volunteers of The Dinner Table, and we worked on the Voter ID for Me effort. We staffed the Ogunquit polls on Election Day, and though the turnout in the small community was light, the response to the drive was enthusiastic.
From the Maine Wire:
Citizens hoping to turn their petition into a ballot measure must collect a number of signatures equal to ten percent of the votes cast in the state’s most recent gubernatorial election. Currently, citizens’ initiatives need 67,682 signatures to get their measures on the ballot.
According to Voter ID for ME, the group has collected more than 165,000 signatures as of Monday, more than double the statutory requirement.
The initiative will now hand its signatures over to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) for review. The review process will entail validating the signatures and may or may not be carried out by Bellows, depending on whether she’s reappointed by the lawmakers to serve as Secretary of State in December.
The initiative’s website set a 100,000 signature goal, hoping to significantly exceed the required number to offset any signatures that Bellows — or whomever may be the next Secretary of State — decides to reject.
“Collecting more than the required amount compensates for signatures that may be rejected by the Secretary of State. We’ll succeed in getting the question on the ballot,” says the initiative.
If Voter ID for ME’s signatures are validated, the citizens’ initiative could be on the ballot as early as Nov. 2025. If successful, the election integrity measure could be implemented prior to Maine’s next election for governor in 2026.
