State of Maine Elections & Voting

Election Day is November 5

October 15 Deadline to complete voter registration by mail (there is no deadline to complete voter registration in person in your town office or city hall)
October 31 Deadline to request absentee ballot or vote by absentee ballot in person at the clerk’s office
November 5 Deadline for election authority to receive absentee ballots
November 5 Election Day

To register to vote in Maine, you must:

Be a United States citizen
Have established a fixed principal home in Maine
Be 18 years old by election day. A 17 year old may vote in a Primary Election, if that person will be 18 by the General Election (those 16 years old can pre-register)

How to register to vote:

You can register to vote by filling out a voter registration card at your town office or city hall, through any Motor Vehicle branch office, in most state & federal social service agencies, or at voter registration drives.
You can also download and print a Maine voter registration application here. Please note that both sides of the card will print on one page. Maine Voter Registration Application (Fillable PDF).
If you cannot print the voter registration application, contact your town clerk to have a voter registration card mailed to you. A printed version of the voter registration card, with your original signature, must be kept on file by your town clerk, so the card cannot be transmitted electronically.

Completed voter registration cards may be hand delivered or mailed to your town office or city hall. Check this listing for telephone and mail contacts for each town and city.

If you forget to register to vote, don’t worry. The State of Maine has same-day voter registration. Simply fill out your card at the polls on Election Day.

Registration ID requirements

When you register for the first time in Maine, you’ll need to provide identity documents that show you have established your voting residence in the State of Maine. The following documents are acceptable proof of identification for the purposes of registering to vote:

Government document or credential with photo ID (i.e. driver’s license, State ID, valid U.S. Passport, military ID, ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe)
Government ID document/credential without photo (i.e. certified birth certificate or signed Social Security card)
An official document that shows name and address of voter (i.e. eligibility for public benefits, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck)
Student photo ID from a state-approved public or private school or institute of higher education in Maine
Verified unique identifier (Maine driver’s license number or last four numbers of Social Security Number)

Voter ID Requirements

Maine does not require voters to present identification while voting. If a voter registers to vote on election day, he or she must provide identification and proof of where he or she lives.

Visit VoteRiders for more information on voter ID requirements in Maine.

Absentee Voting

Any registered voter may cast an absentee ballot instead of voting in person at the voting place. You do not need to have a specific reason or be unable to vote at the voting place on Election Day to use an absentee ballot.

You can request your own ballot electronically using the Secretary of State’s online absentee ballot request service.
Contact the municipal clerk in the town or city where you are registered to vote. You can make a telephone request for your own ballot, which will be mailed to the address you provide to the clerk. Uniformed Service and Overseas voters will request an absentee ballot directly from the Secretary of State, Division of Elections.
You can make a written request by completing an absentee ballot application. Additionally, you can obtain a ballot for an immediate family member in this same way. A ballot will be mailed to the voter directly or to an immediate family member making the request. Your municipal clerk can tell you who is considered an immediate family member under the law.NOTE: Ballots obtained by the voter or an immediate family member do not require witnesses, unless the voter receives assistance from another person in reading or marking the ballot.

Absentee ballots may be requested beginning 3 months before Election Day, and until the 3rd business day prior to the election, unless special circumstances exist. Make your request early to allow enough time for the ballot to be mailed to you. The deadline for absentee voting in the presence of the clerk, unless special circumstances exist, is the Thursday before the election.

In-Person Absentee Voting

You can also vote by absentee ballot in person. You may vote absentee at the clerk’s office as soon as absentee ballots are available. Absentee ballots are available at least 30 days before the election at the municipal clerk’s office. You don’t need to complete an application if you vote in person at the clerk’s office.

Ranked-choice Voting (RCV)

The State of Maine is using ranked-choice voting for all of Maine’s state-level primary elections, and in general elections ONLY for federal offices, including the office of U.S. President.

Visit the Resources for Ranked-choice Voting (RCV) page for more information.

Resources

Tribes in Maine

Tribal Nations

Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
Mi’kmaq Nation
Passamaquoddy Tribe
Penobscot Indian Nation

Native Vote Coordinators

Major Party Contact Information

Democrat
Chair, Bev Uhlenhake
www.mainedems.org

Republican
Chair, Joel Stetkis
mainegop.com