Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 311 – Rules governing
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A biennial municipal caucus may be held by any political party for the purpose of electing delegates to a state convention and for any other business governed by the following provisions. [PL 2005, c. 387, §3 (AMD).]
1. Call and location of caucus. The caucus may be called by the chair or a majority of the members of the municipal committee of a political party. If the municipal committee fails to call a caucus, the county committee may call the caucus. At the request of the municipal committee, municipal officers shall provide available space in a public building for a caucus. The municipality may charge a rental fee or janitorial service fee for the available space. A municipal committee may hold its caucus remotely using a conference system that may include telephonic or video technology allowing simultaneous reception of information and may include other means. A municipal committee may hold its caucus outside the municipality if several municipalities elect to meet on a consolidated basis or if the committee calling the caucus determines that a facility outside the municipality is more suitable.
[PL 2023, c. 304, Pt. A, §4 (AMD).]
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 311
- Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
- Caucus: means a meeting of a political party or committee. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Election year: means the calendar year within which a particular election is held. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Majority: when used in reference to age shall mean the age of 18 and over. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
- may: when used in this Title, is used in a permissive sense to grant authority or permission, but not to create duty, to act in the manner specified by the context. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 7
- Municipal committee: means a city, town or ward committee of a political party. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Municipal officers: means the mayor and aldermen or councillors of a city, the members of the select board or councillors of a town and the assessors of a plantation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Municipality: means a city, town or plantation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Party: means a political organization which has qualified to participate in a primary or general election under chapter 5. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Voter: means a person registered to vote. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
- Voting district: means an area set off from another in the same municipality for voting purposes. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
2. Time. A biennial municipal caucus of any party must be held during the general election year before March 20th.
[PL 2005, c. 387, §3 (AMD).]
3. Notice. The secretary of the committee shall have a notice of the caucus published in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality at least 3 and not more than 7 days before it is to be held, or shall post a notice in a conspicuous, public place in each voting district in the municipality at least 7 days before the caucus. The notice must contain the name of the party, the time and place of the caucus and the name of the person calling it.
A. If the notice is not published as required by this subsection, the caucus is void if challenged by any voter eligible to participate in the caucus who was prejudiced by the failure to publish notice. [PL 2005, c. 387, §3 (AMD).]
B. The secretary of the committee shall file a copy of the notice with the clerk who shall record it. [PL 2005, c. 387, §3 (AMD).]
[PL 2005, c. 387, §3 (AMD).]
4. Procedure. The chair of the municipal committee shall open the caucus. In the chair’s absence, the secretary or any resident voter enrolled in the party may open the caucus. The caucus shall elect a secretary and a chair in that order. The chair of the caucus shall then preside over the caucus and the secretary shall record the proceeding of the caucus. The caucus shall determine its own parliamentary procedure.
[PL 2005, c. 387, §3 (AMD).]
5. If no municipal committee. If there is no municipal committee, any resident voter enrolled in the party may call a special caucus for the purpose of electing the committee following the notice procedure of subsection 3.
[PL 2005, c. 387, §3 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW). PL 1997, c. 436, §45 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 310, §17 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 387, §3 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 248, §4 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 304, Pt. A, §4 (AMD).