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.