Maine Revised Statutes Title 3. Legislature § 41. Organization

The Clerk of the preceding House of Representatives in the same manner as provided for the Senate shall call the Representatives-elect to order and preside until they are qualified and elect a Speaker. If no quorum appears, the clerk shall preside, and the Representatives-elect present shall adjourn from day to day until a quorum appears and is qualified and a Speaker is elected. After the election of the Speaker, the House of Representatives shall proceed to elect by ballot a clerk and an assistant clerk. All revenues received by the document clerk in the performance of the document clerk's duties must be credited to the General Fund.

In case of vacancy in the office of the clerk, or the clerk's absence or inability to perform the duties, the clerk's assistant shall perform the duties.

If the Clerk of the House and the clerk's assistant are absent at the time set for convening the House, their duties must be performed by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of State's deputy.