Maine Lawmakers Open State Primaries to 400,000 Independent Voters

image
Published: 10 Jun, 2021
Updated: 18 Jun, 2025
2 min read

In a bipartisan vote, the Maine Legislature passed a bill Wednesday that implements a semi-open primary system, which will allow voters registered independent (32% of the registered electorate) to choose between a Republican or a Democratic primary ballot in future elections.

“I am thrilled that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle joined me in supporting semi-open primaries,” said bill sponsor Senator Chloe Maxmin (D-Lincoln). “Enacting this common sense reform will align our democratic system with our shared values of civic participation and electoral inclusion.”

The bill marks an exception to the broader trend of deep-seated partisanship driving or stalling policy decisions across the country. A sizable number of Republicans joined with the Democratic majority to pass the bill in the state Senate in a 27-7 vote, and in a 92-52 vote in the House.

“It is important for unenrolled voters to be permitted to participate in elections for which they pay,” said bill co-sponsor Assistant Senate Minority Leader Matt Pouliot (R-Kennebec). “These voters deserve a say.” 

Under the new primary system, registered members of the Republican and Democratic Parties will vote in their respective party’s primary. However, independent voters are no longer forced to join either private political party in order to have a meaningful say in elections. They can choose a party ballot and have their voices heard in arguably the most critical stage of the elections process.

“For many years, the attitude about independent voters has been that they should join a party if they want to participate. That’s changing, in Maine and around the country,” said John Opdycke, president of the nonpartisan reform advocacy group, Open Primaries.   

“Elected officials are starting to appreciate that independents want to participate but they don’t like the idea that you have to join a team in order to have a voice.  Letting all voters vote may sound simple, but it’s a profound component of what it will take to improve our politics.” 

Open Primaries and Open Primaries Maine began to work on expanding voter access in the state's primaries in the state in 2019. A similar bill was introduced in the legislative session that year. However, it failed to pass. Yet, 3 years later, the continued efforts of primary reform advocates paid off with a bill that might not take the biggest leap reformers want, but is a historic and monumental step toward leveling the playing field for all voters.

“We are grateful that the Maine Legislature listened to the 80% of Maine voters who support semi-open primaries,” said Kaitlin LaCasse with Open Primaries Maine. “This is a good day for Maine voters and a good day for our democracy.”

In this article

Related articles

I voted sticker being put on someone.
Republican Joins Democrats in Maine to Give Voters More Choice
Showing an independent streak in keeping with Maine’s political tradition, Sen. Rick Bennett (R–Oxford) broke ranks with his party this week to join 91 Democrats in supporting a bill that would finally fulfill the will of Maine voters: implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) in all state general elections....
13 Jun, 2025
-
7 min read
US map divided in blue and red with a white ballot box on top.
Could Maine Be the First State to Exit the National Popular Vote Compact?
On May 20, the Maine House of Representatives voted 76–71 to withdraw the state from the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), reversing course just over a year after Maine became the 17th jurisdiction to join the agreement....
04 Jun, 2025
-
3 min read
Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail.
Bernie Sanders Endorses Troy Jackson in Maine Governor’s Race: 'He Knows What It’s Like to Feel Powerless'
In a significant early endorsement in Maine’s 2026 governor’s race, US Senator Bernie Sanders has thrown his support behind Troy Jackson, the former Maine Senate President and longtime champion of working-class issues and political reform....
03 Jun, 2025
-
3 min read

Latest articles

Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read
A man filling out his election ballot.
Oregon Activist Sues over Closed Primaries: 'I Shouldn't Have to Join a Party to Have a Voice'
A new lawsuit filed in Oregon challenges the constitutionality of the state’s closed primary system, which denies the state’s largest registered voting bloc – independent voters – access to taxpayer-funded primary elections. The suit alleges Oregon is denying the voters equal voting rights...
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Supreme Court building.
Supreme Court Sides with Federal Corrections Officers in Lawsuit Over Prison Incident
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that federal prison officers and officials cannot be sued by an inmate who accused them of excessive force during a 2021 incident, delivering a victory for federal corrections personnel concerned about rising legal exposure for doing their jobs....
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read