Maine voters on Tuesday approved a ballot measure that would impose stricter red flag laws allowing the authorities to seize firearms if an individual is deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.
This development comes two years after a gunman carried out a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine in October 2023.
Voters voted in favor of Question 2, which related to red flag laws by about 58 percent to 41 percent in a significant victory for the anti-gunner lobby.
From Fox News:
Maine voters also resoundingly supported "Question 2," which would enact an extreme protection order law, commonly referred to as a "red flag" law.
It prohibits the "purchase, possession or control of a dangerous weapon" if a person is suspected of "posing a significant danger of causing physical injury to the person or to another person," according to Maine’s election guide released by Bellows.
Maine already has a "yellow flag" law that requires law enforcement to first take a person into protective custody if they are believed to be a danger to themselves or others. The person must then undergo a mental health evaluation before a judge can order the temporary removal of their firearms.
Anti-gunner politicians used the mass shooting to promote the red flag laws, which mean that any individual can report that a person is dangerous instead of leaving such pronouncements to law enforcement.
A sad day for Maine gun owners.
— National Association for Gun Rights (@NatlGunRights) November 5, 2025
The ballot initiative implementing Red Flag gun confiscation has passed. pic.twitter.com/z1xZevySVz
The mass shooting involved a 40-year old Army reservist named Robert Card, who opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston. He killed 18 people and injured 13 others. He took his own life two days later after a statewide manhunt.
It was later revealed that Card’s family members had repeatedly warned the authorities about his dangerous and erratic behavior. The state’s yellow flag laws were never used in Card’s case.
Tonight, Maine rejected voter ID and embraced red flag laws. New Hampshire remains the last bastion of freedom and sanity in the northeast pic.twitter.com/cJGLWN0Sx7
— Rep. James Thibault (@James4NH) November 5, 2025
Supporters of the law argued that red flag laws are a critical tool in preventing mass shootings and other forms of gun-related violence. Nicole Palmer, executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, celebrated the outcome, saying that it “will save lives and help keep our kids and families safe.”
Critics, including Democratic Gov. Janet Mill, pointed out that the laws would cause confusion while undermining the state’s existing yellow flag law. It could also result in violations of the Second Amendment by targeting law abiding gun owners.