AUGUSTA — Maine voters will get a chance to decide if people in Maine selling guns in private sales should have to perform criminal background checks to ensure buyers are not prohibited from having firearms under state or federal law.
Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap confirmed Thursday a petition drive to place the question before voters in November had collected enough valid voter signatures for the question to be placed on the ballot.
The petition drive collected 84,602 signatures. While 18,781 signatures were determined to be invalid, the group pushing the question still had 65,821 valid signatures. That’s above the 61,123 signatures required under the law — 10 percent of the number of voters who participated in the last election for governor, in 2014.
The proposed law change would require a federal background check before a firearm sale or transfer between individuals who are not licensed as firearms dealers.
Under the proposal, those buying and selling firearms would be required to meet at a licensed firearms dealer, who would conduct a background check on the transferee and complete the sale. Exceptions are included in the proposed legislation for transfers between family members, while the parties are hunting or sport shooting, for emergency self-defense and some other circumstances.
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