Qualifications For Office

• As defined under Article IV, Part Second, Section 1 of the Constitution, the Senate currently consists of 35 Senators.
  

• Each Senator is elected for a term of two years, and members are limited to four consecutive terms (8 years).
  

• A Senator must be a citizen of Maine for at least one year, be a resident of the district for at least 3 months prior to the election and continue to reside within the district during the term of office, and be at least 25 years of age at the time of election.
  

The Constitution requires that the Senate be reapportioned every 10 years, by the Senate itself or, if the Senate fails to do so within the required time, by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

In 1993 the Legislature failed to adopt a reapportionment plan; thus a plan was promulgated by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court pursuant to the Maine Constitution.  In 2003, the Supreme Judicial Court promulgated a reapportionment plan pursuant to the Maine Constitution, after the Senate failed to adopt one.