Summary
Federal & state elections on the ballot: 2 US House members, Governor, and State Senate and House members
Ballot measures:
The Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, part of the Secretary of State, oversees all Maine elections.
OnAir Post: Maine Votes in 2024
News
Maine Beacon, – May 6, 2021
Maine lawmakers are considering a bill that would make permanent several election-related changes put forward in 2020 in response to the pandemic and implement additional reforms as part of an effort to improve access to voting in the state.
LD 1575, sponsored by Rep. Jay McCreight (D-Harpswell), would institute a series of changes to state election law. One proposed reform would make the Friday before Election Day open for in-person absentee voting, a shift that was put in place for the 2020 election.
Another proposed change would allow the use of multiple ballot dropboxes in a municipality. LD 1575 would also direct the Secretary of State’s Office to develop rules to ensure dropboxes are secure.
Public News Service, – April 27, 2021
Good-government groups in Maine support a bill which would ban corporate contributions from going directly to state legislators or their campaign committees, a rule that’s already in place in 22 other states and at the federal level in elections for Congress and for president.
John Brautigam, legal counsel and senior policy advisor for the League of Women Voters of Maine and Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, pointed out corporations are profit-driven, and sometimes use campaign contributions to curry favor with legislators and influence the policy agenda.
“We believe that it’s important to ensure that the political process and our democracy are reserved to the voters, to the public, where they can have their say, not to be drowned out by money from corporate interests,” Brautigam contended.
Brautigam noted the corporate form allows a very small number of people to control the flow of a huge amount of money, and he argued this type of reform is long overdue.
When Richard Evans was campaigning in 2020 for a seat in the Maine House of Representatives in deep-red Piscataquis County, he called up a voter who had some questions for him.
Evans, a Black doctor and a Democrat running in an overwhelmingly white county, started the conversation by telling the man that he would answer his questions honestly, even if the responses weren’t what the man wanted to hear. The two had a wide ranging discussion, touching on health care, jobs, education and family life.
“At the end of the conversation, he said, ‘I am a lifelong Republican, I have never voted for a Democrat in my life. But because you were upfront and honest with me, that meant a lot,’” Evans said, adding that the man committed to getting friends and family to vote for the Democrat as well.
About
Contact
Locations
Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions
101 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0101
Phone: 207-624-7736
Fax: 207-287-5428
Web Links
Registering to Vote
General Information
Who can registerTo register in Maine you must:
- be a citizen of the United States
- be a resident of Maine and the municipality in which you want to vote
- be 17 years old (you must be at least 18 years of age to vote, except that in primary elections you may vote if you are 17 but will be 18 by the general election)
How to register
- Use our Register to Vote form below to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
Election Day registration
If you have missed the voter registration deadline, you can still register to vote at your town office or city hall up until Election Day. Contact your Local Election Office with any questions.
Voting Rights restoration
If you have been convicted of a felony and have questions about whether you can register to vote, visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
Registration Status (form)
New Registration (form)
Voting
General Information
Voting as a Student
Learn more from Campus Vote Project about voting for students.
Overseas and Military Voting
You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.
If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Voting with Disabilities
In-person Absentee Voting is available in Iowa beginning 40 days before an election. Voting takes place in the county auditor’s office.
You may vote absentee in-person until the day before Election Day, unless polling places open at noon on Election Day. In that case, you may vote absentee in-person from 8am-11am on Election Day.
Early Voting
N/A
Vote by Mail (Absentee)
Absentee ballot rules
Any registered Maine voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
How to get Absentee ballot
- Use our Absentee Ballot form below to prepare your application.
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We’ll provide the mailing address for you.
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
- Make sure your application is received by the deadline. Your application must actually arrive by this time — simply being postmarked by the deadline is insufficient.
- Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
What to do next
- Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
- Sign and date where indicated.
- Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated.
- Your voted ballot must arrive by the deadline or it will not be counted.
Absentee ballot application deadline
- By Mail: 5 days before Election Day.
Absentee ballot submission deadline
Election Day
Absentee Ballot (form)
Elections Alert (Form)
Pollling Information
Polling Place Locator
You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.
If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your county clerk.
Polling Place Hours
All polls open between 6am and 10am depending on the population of the town. Local officials can give you the exact opening time for your community. All voting places close at 8pm on election day.
Poll Worker Information
In order to be a poll worker in Maine, you must:
- Be registered to vote in Maine
- Be at least 18 years of age; except students 17 or older may work at the polls as student election clerks for specific elections
- Attend training at least once every two years
- Might be entitled to compensation, depending on the jurisdiction
To sign up, contact your local board of elections.
Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions
The Division supervises and administers all elections of federal, state and county offices and referenda, and in that capacity advises election officials from 500 municipalities, 600 candidates and the general public regarding election laws and procedures; prepares, proofreads and distributes 1,800 separate ballot types and other elections materials; tabulates official elections results; supervises recounts in contested races; and oversees the application of state laws pertaining to candidate and citizen initiative petitions.
