A Right to Repair initiative will appear on the Maine ballot on Nov. 7, 2023.
The initiative would allow car owners and independent repair facilities to have the same access to onboard diagnostic systems and wireless data that manufacturers and approved repair facilities have access to. According to The Repair Association, an organization advocating for right to repair legislation, at least 40 states have initiated efforts towards enacting such laws.
The Maine Automotive Right to Repair Committee is leading the campaign in support of the initiative. On Jan. 19, 2023, the committee submitted 83,252 signatures to the secretary of state, and 74,686 of those signatures were found to be valid. This met the 67,682 minimum valid signature requirement to be certified to the legislature. In Maine, a citizen initiative is indirect, meaning the initiative goes to the ballot if the legislature rejects the initiative or does not take action by the end of the session. If the legislature passes the initiative, and the governor signs it, the initiative becomes law.
