Article 4, Part 1

Article IV.

Part First.  House of Representatives.

Section 1.     Legislative department; style of acts.
Section 2.     Number of Representatives; biennial terms; division of the State into
                      districts for House of Representatives.
Section 3.     Submission of reapportionment plan to Clerk of House; Legislature's
                      action on commission's plan.
Section 4.     Residency requirement.
Section 5.     Election of Representatives; lists of votes delivered forthwith; lists of
                      votes examined by Governor; summons of persons who appear to be
                      elected; lists shall be laid before the House.
Section 6.     Vacancies.
Section 7.     To choose own officers.
Section 8.     Power of impeachment.


Article IV.

   Part First.   House of Representatives.

 Section 1.   Legislative department; style of acts.  The
legislative power shall be  vested in 2 distinct branches, a
House of Representatives, and a Senate, each to have a  negative
on the other, and both to be styled the Legislature of Maine, but
the people  reserve to themselves power to propose laws and to
enact or reject the same at the polls  independent of the
Legislature, and also reserve power at their own option to
approve or  reject at the polls any Act, bill, resolve or
resolution passed by the joint action of both  branches of the
Legislature, and the style of their laws and Acts shall be, "Be
it enacted  by the people of the State of Maine."
 Section 2.   Number of Representatives; biennial terms; division
of the State  into districts for House of Representatives.  The
House of Representatives shall consist  of 151 members, to be
elected by the qualified electors, and hold their office 2 years
from the day next preceding the first Wednesday in December
following the general  election.  The Legislature which convenes
in 1983 and every 10th year thereafter shall  cause the State to
be divided into districts for the choice of one Representative
for each  district.  The number of Representatives shall be
divided into the number of inhabitants  of the State exclusive of
foreigners not naturalized according to the latest Federal
Decennial Census or a State Census previously ordered by the
Legislature to coincide  with the Federal Decennial Census, to
determine a mean population figure for each  Representative
District.  Each Representative District shall be formed of
contiguous and  compact territory and shall cross political
subdivision lines the least number of times  necessary to
establish as nearly as practicable equally populated districts.
Whenever the  population of a municipality entitles it to more
than one district, all whole districts shall  be drawn within
municipal boundaries.  Any population remainder within the
municipality  shall be included in a district with contiguous
territory and shall be kept intact.

 Section 3.   Submission of reapportionment plan to Clerk of
House;  Legislature's action on commission's plan.  The
apportionment plan of the commission  established under Article
IV, Part Third, Section 1-A shall be submitted to the Clerk of
the House no later than 120 calendar days after the convening of
the Legislature in which  apportionment is required.  In the
preparation of legislation implementing the plan, the commission,
following a unanimous decision by commission members, may adjust
errors  and inconsistencies in accordance with the standards set
forth in this Constitution, so long  as substantive changes are
not made.  The Legislature shall enact the submitted plan of  the
commission or a plan of its own by a vote of 2/3 of the Members
of each House  within 30 calendar days after the plan of the
commission is submitted.  Such action shall  be subject to the
Governor's approval as provided in Article IV, Part Third,
Section 2.

 In the event that the Legislature shall fail to make an
apportionment within 130  calendar days after convening, the
Supreme Judicial Court shall, within 60 days following  the
period in which the Legislature is required to act, but fails to
do so, make the  apportionment.  In making such apportionment,
the Supreme Judicial Court shall take into  consideration plans
and briefs filed by the public with the court during the first 30
days  of the period in which the court is required to apportion.

 The Supreme Judicial Court shall have original jurisdiction to
hear any challenge to  an apportionment law enacted by the
Legislature, as registered by any citizen or group  thereof.  If
any challenge is sustained, the Supreme Judicial Court shall make
the  apportionment.

 Section 4.   Residency requirement.  No person shall be a member
of the House  of Representatives, unless the person shall, at the
commencement of the period for which  the person is elected, have
been 5 years a citizen of the United States, have arrived at the
age of 21 years, have been a resident in this State one year; and
for the 3 months next  preceding the time of this person's
election shall have been, and, during the period for  which
elected, shall continue to be a resident in the district which
that person represents.
 No person may be a candidate for election as a member of the
House of  Representatives unless, at the time of the nomination
for placement on the primary,  general or special election
ballot, that person is a resident in the district which the
candidate seeks to represent.
 Section 5.   Election of Representatives; lists of votes
delivered forthwith; lists  of votes examined by Governor;
summons of persons who appear to be elected; lists  shall be laid
before the House.  The meetings within this State for the choice
of  Representatives shall be warned in due course of law by
qualified officials of the several  towns and cities 7 days at
least before the election, and the election officials of the
various towns and cities shall preside impartially at such
meetings, receive the votes of  all the qualified electors, sort,
count and declare them in open meeting; and a list of the persons
voted for shall be formed, with the number of votes for each
person against that  person's name.  Cities and towns belonging
to any Representative District shall hold their meetings at the
same time in the respective cities and towns; and such meetings
shall be  notified, held and regulated, the votes received,
sorted, counted and declared in the same  manner.  Fair copies of
the lists of votes shall be attested by the municipal officers
and  the clerks of the cities and towns and the city and town
clerks respectively shall cause the  same to be delivered into
the office of the Secretary of State forthwith.  The Governor
shall examine the returned copies of such lists and 7 days before
the first Wednesday of  December biennially, shall issue a
summons to such persons as shall appear to have been elected by a
plurality of all votes returned, to attend and take their seats.
All such lists  shall be laid before the House of Representatives
on the first Wednesday of December  biennially, and they shall
finally determine who are elected.

 Section 6.   Vacancies.  Whenever the seat of a member shall be
vacated by death,  resignation, or otherwise the vacancy may be
filled by a new election.

 Section 7.   To choose own officers.  The House of
Representatives shall choose  their speaker, clerk and other
officers.

 Section 8.   Power of impeachment.  The House of Representatives
shall have the  sole power of impeachment.