The Maine Constitution is amended by a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate and then ratified by the voters. The Maine Legislature could also call a Constitutional Convention. Either way, only the legislature can initiate a Maine Constitutional Amendment.

You may have heard of the current referendums in California and Florida to amend their state constitutions. Their constitutions were written differently allowing for citizen-initiated amendments.

You may also be confused with a current Maine referendum to tighten existing definition of marriage law. This referendum can initiate change in the law but not the State Constitution.

Proposed Amendment to the Maine Constitution

“Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.”