Voters in Maine have approved Question 2, adopting a red flag law that will replace the state’s current “yellow flag” process for temporarily removing firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others.
The Associated Press called the race Tuesday night, with the measure passing by a comfortable margin.
Supporters celebrated the result at an event in Portland led by the Maine Gun Safety Coalition.
Speaking to the crowd, board member Nacole Palmer called the vote “a choice for a safer future,” saying Mainers had rejected the idea that “gun rights and gun responsibility” are mutually exclusive.
The new law will make it easier for family members and law enforcement to petition a court to remove guns from someone considered at risk.
Under Maine’s existing yellow flag law, police must first take a person into protective custody and obtain a medical evaluation before seeking a court order to seize weapons.
Red flag laws, by contrast, allow petitions without that medical step, streamlining the process but raising concerns about due process protections for gun owners.
The debate around Question 2 intensified in the aftermath of the 2023 Lewiston mass shooting, which left 18 people dead.
Proponents argued that a red flag system might have prevented the tragedy by allowing earlier intervention, while opponents said the yellow flag law, enacted in 2020 and used more than 1,100 times since, was already working and included stronger safeguards for individual rights.
According to the Maine Department of Public Safety, 1,154 yellow flag cases have been processed statewide, with most coming after the Lewiston attack.
Those who voted “no” on Question 2 warned that the new law could invite false claims and weaken protections for lawful gun owners.
Gov. Janet Mills, who supported the existing yellow flag system, has indicated it protects both safety and constitutional rights.
With voters opting for a broader red flag law, Maine joins about 20 other U.S. states that now allow courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs).
The law is expected to take effect later this year following certification by the Secretary of State.
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