Maine’s Paid Leave
Ballot Initiative

What is a ballot initiative? A ballot initiative, or people’s vote, or referendum, is a process where individuals and organizations can put a question out to voters, instead of going through a legislative process. Find out more here. 

What is the process? A policy is written and sent to the Secretary of State. They draft the question that will go on the ballot for voters to vote on. After negotiation, the question is settled and then written on petitions. Petitions are distributed for signatures from the public. If enough people sign the petition (about 64,000), then the question will go on the ballot for voters to vote on. The process takes over a year from start to finish. 

Why is paid leave going on the ballot now? The next steps for paid leave in Maine depend on who wins the election, and the makeup of the legislature. As a result, we want to be sure that we have as many choices as possible. A ballot takes a long time - we want to be sure that we have this option on the table if the legislature doesn’t move forward next year. 

Who is leading this work? The Maine Women’s Lobby and the Maine People’s Alliance are co-chairing the ballot initiative. Both organizations are members of the Maine Paid Leave Coalition. However the ballot initiative is not a project of the Coalition, and not all members of the coalition are working on the ballot.

Who would be covered under the ballot’s policy proposal? Paid leave would be for everyone, regardless of where they work, who they work for (including themselves), their immigration status, and whether they work part time, full-time, year round or seasonal jobs.

What does “family” mean when we say paid family and medical leave in the proposal? Family means your family by blood, by law and by affinity. We all define family differently and that shouldn’t get in the way of taking care of the people you’re closest with.

How long would paid leave last, and would I have a job when I come back? You could take up to 12 weeks for any specific instance of paid leave, with a total cap of 16 weeks across multiple uses in any 12 month period. You would be eligible to take paid leave on the first day of your employment. As long as you’ve been at your job for 120 days, that job or one just like it must be waiting for you when your leave ends.  

Who’s going to pay for this, and how much pay do people get when they take leave? Both employers and employees would pay into a state fund. Overall, the contributions are split 50/50 between employers and employees - both paying 0.43% of the employee’s wages each paycheck. That works out to less than $2.50 a week or $130 a year for someone earning $30k a year. 

There are a few exceptions: Maine’s smallest businesses (with fewer than 15 employees) would not have to contribute employer premiums. Self-employed people only pay the employee portion. 

Everyone would contribute according to their ability to pay. People who have lower incomes get paid a higher percentage of their income when they claim leave. Research has shown the lowest-income workers are not able to take leave unless they’re getting most of their wages covered by the benefit. 

Wasn’t Maine’s legislature already working on a paid leave program? Yes! Maine’s Commission on Paid Family and Medical Leave began developing a paid leave program in Maine in October 2021. The commission is continuing that work now. It’s possible that the legislature will pass a statewide paid leave program in the coming session. However, the need for a universal paid leave program in Maine is too urgent to not explore all options. That’s why the Maine Women’s Lobby and Maine People’s Alliance have filed paperwork for a people’s referendum. 

Where can I find the complete policy that is being proposed? The full policy is available here.

How can I help? If you want to join in as a community leader to gather signatures for the ballot, you can sign up here. If you want to do more, you can go to our Take Action page to learn about other ways you can help get the word out on paid leave in Maine!