Maine Voters Send a Clear Message: They Want Foreign Money Out of Elections

Maine Voters Send a Clear Message: They Want Foreign Money Out of Elections
Published: 07 Nov, 2023
1 min read

Maine voters overwhelmingly approved Question 2 on Tuesday, a ballot measure that prohibits direct and indirect electioneering from foreign governments and foreign government-owned entities in candidate and ballot measure elections.

With 45% of precincts reporting in, 86% of voters said 'Yes' to Question 2.

Federal prohibitions on foreign spending in elections already applied to candidate races. However, there is a loophole on the subject of ballot referendums, and in the past few years over $100 million in federal spending went into ballot measure elections in Maine.

“In this cycle, 83% of the spending has been by foreign government-owned entities," said Kaitlin LaCasse of Protect Maine Elections in a previous interview for IVN. Protect Maine Elections spearheaded the effort to pass Question 2.

Maine is the 8th state to ban foreign nationals from making contributions to ballot measure campaigns. The other 7 are California, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.

In this article

You Might Also Like

No Referee in the Midterms? Trump’s FEC Nominations Come After 10 Months of Zero Federal Oversight
No Referee in the Midterms? Trump’s FEC Nominations Come After 10 Months of Zero Federal Oversight
As February wrapped up, it was reported that President Donald Trump had nominated two Republicans for the Federal Elections Commission after 10 months of the agency being unable to perform its basic functions....
02 Mar, 2026
-
9 min read
Voter ID + Proof of Citizenship: Trump Goes All-In in the SOTU - What Happens Next?
Voter ID + Proof of Citizenship: Trump Goes All-In in the SOTU - What Happens Next?
Tune in for our independent breakdown of Trump’s record-length 2026 State of the Union: voter ID + proof of citizenship, immigration rhetoric, affordability vs “winning” messaging, a rare bipartisan beat on banning stock trading, and the moment the chamber unified around a Coast Guard rescue....
26 Feb, 2026
-
2 min read
81% of Americans Say Money Controls Politics – Can a Constitutional Amendment Fix It?
81% of Americans Say Money Controls Politics – Can a Constitutional Amendment Fix It?
Polls consistently show that nearly all Americans across the political spectrum agree that there is too much money in politics – whether from foreign sources, corporations, or so-called “dark money” groups. ...
23 Feb, 2026
-
13 min read
83% Want Voter ID - So Why Is Congress Fighting It? SAVE Act Explained
83% Want Voter ID - So Why Is Congress Fighting It? SAVE Act Explained
Throughout this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, the central theme remains clear: Americans broadly support common-sense reforms to strengthen election integrity and government accountability, but partisan strategy and fundraising incentives continue to stall meaningful change....
16 Feb, 2026
-
2 min read
Poll: Americans Reject 'Money = Speech' by Landslide; Want Power Back from Supreme Court
Poll: Americans Reject 'Money = Speech' by Landslide; Want Power Back from Supreme Court
A new poll from American Promise shows most Americans across the political spectrum agree: Money is not speech and unlimited political spending should not be protected as such under the First Amendment....
03 Feb, 2026
-
4 min read
Leticia Castillo Doesn’t Fit California’s Political Boxes, and Neither Does Her District
Leticia Castillo Doesn’t Fit California’s Political Boxes, and Neither Does Her District
The new 58th Assembly District, previously AD60 before California’s 2021 redistricting, is considered the birthplace of California’s citrus industry. ...
19 Jan, 2026
-
10 min read