A proposed bill to change Maine’s presidential caucus system to a primary in the wake of long lines and hours-long waits at some caucuses last weekend has earned some legislative support.

Three local caucus conveners, however, have mixed feelings about it.

On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Justin Alfond, D-Dexter, said he plans to submit legislation that would allow voters to select party nominees for president in a statewide election rather than at caucuses.

Alfond told the Associated Press that long lines at the Portland Democratic caucus on Sunday caused some people to wait more than four hours to vote. Some gave up and went home.

“No one should be denied the right to vote,” Alfond said. “We need to do something better.”

Democrats held caucuses in 400 locations on Sunday, while Republicans held them at 22 locations on Saturday.

The Republican caucus in York County was held at Biddeford Middle School, where there were long lines of people waiting to get inside most of the afternoon. At one point, the Biddeford Fire Department ordered the line halted at the entry door for about 15 minutes until the school lobby could be cleared.

“Anytime we try to legislate in the heat of the moment, (we’re) prone to overreact,” said York County Republican caucus convener Mike Coleman.

A primary would be costly, Coleman said.

“Out of 2,200 people, I took three complaints, and I understand,” he said. “Most people were of good cheer.”

Republicans held a sort of hybrid caucus/vote this year, with folks hosting municipal caucuses and then casting secret ballots for their presidential preference.

“The 2016 caucus had some challenges. A lot came from state party headquarters dictating a schedule, which was unworkable,” said Coleman. “To have us start the voting at the same time as municipal caucuses was an incredibly foolish idea.”

Coleman said the schedule meant candidate surrogates were speaking an hour into the voting. “A lot of the people had already voted and left,” he said.

The York County Republican Committee sought a more centralized location for last weekend’s caucus, he said, but all suitable spots were booked. He said about 1,800 people were expected at the county level, not the 2,202 who cast ballots.

In Saco on Sunday, where 650 people turned out to the Democratic caucus, doors at Fairfield School opened at noon, and the caucus was supposed to start at 1 p.m. So many people were in line, however, that the caucus didn’t begin until about 2:15 p.m.

Saco caucus convener Don Pilon said he didn’t hear any complaints, but took measures to try to minimize backups at the check-in tables. He noticed delays as people paused to fill out paperwork to register to vote or enroll in the party, so he sent volunteers with forms into the line so people could fill them out prior to reaching the tables.

Pilon said he’d have to research Alfond’s proposal before taking a stance. But he agreed procedures could be improved.

“I saw what happened in Portland. I’m glad to see that kind of engagement, but there has to be a better way,” Pilon said. He suggested that more staff from the city clerk’s office to process registrations and enrollments might help.

In Sanford, where Democrats caucused at Sanford High School, convener Rachel Sherman said there were lines of people waiting to check in, but there were also six sign-in stations. She heard some minor grumbling, but feedback was mostly positive.

Sherman said it took about 90 minutes to sign in 300 participants. She suggested a restructuring of the caucus format.

“There is a lot of work involved with setting up a caucus,” said Sherman. “I think a primary system would allow people to just vote and be on their way, but the caucus system allows for an opportunity for people to truly participate in an organizing effort and to hear prospective candidates or the representatives speak.

“Without the caucus, certain vital roles in the parties could be difficult to fill in a democratic spirit. My feeling is that while a primary is expedient, the caucus provides a necessary opportunity for people to get involved and participate in the larger process.”

Senate President Michael Thibodeau, R-Winterport, said most people would consider the additional cost of a primary a good investment if it allowed more people to vote. And House Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport, supports Alfond’s proposal.

“I’m willing to cosponsor Sen. Alfond’s bill because I believe we need to have a conversation about how to get more people involved in the process of nominating our presidential candidates,” said Fredette in a statement. “Making Maine a primary state could be a way to accomplish that goal.”

Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett said the party is open to talking about moving to a primary system.

Gov. Paul LePage also supports a primary system, said Maine Republican Party Chairman Rick Bennett, who has advocated for primary elections.

But Bennett said switching to primaries would require agreements with the national political parties, and it would be a challenge to schedule a primary early enough so that the results are relevant.

Because there won’t be another presidential election until 2020, Bennett said there is no need for the Legislature to take up the issue now.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected]. The Associated Press contributed to this report.