Voting in Maine
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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.
This article includes the following information about voting policies in Maine:
- Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
- Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
- Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information election agencies.
- Summaries of noteworthy policy-related events.
See Election administration in Maine for additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.
Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.
Voter registration
The table below displays voter registration information specific to Maine's 2024 election cycle.
Eligibility and registration details
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Maine, one must be "a United States citizen, at least 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, and have established a fixed principal home in Maine. To vote in a Referendum or General Election, you must be registered in the community where you reside, and be at least 18 years of age. A 17 year old may vote in a Primary Election, if that person will be 18 by the General Election."[1]
Voters can return completed registration cards in person or by mail to their town office or city hall, any Motor Vehicle branch office, most state & federal social service agencies, or a voter registration drive. There is no deadline for voter registration if completed in person. If registering by mail, the deadline is 21 days prior to the election.[1]
When registering for the first time in Maine, voters must provide documents verifying their identity and residence. The following documents are acceptable identification for the purpose of registering to vote:
- Government ID with a photo (i.e. driver’s license, State ID, valid U.S. Passport, military ID, ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe)
- Government ID without photo (i.e. certified birth certificate or signed Social Security card)
- Other official document showing the 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
- Maine driver’s license number or last four digits of Social Security Number[1]
In-person voting
The table below displays in-person voting information specific to Maine's 2024 election cycle.
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
In Maine, municipalities with a population of 500 or more open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., while municipalities with a population of less than 500 open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. All polls close at 8:00 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
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 residence.[3]
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Maine permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Maine's 2024 election cycle.
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Maine. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[4]
To vote absentee, an application must be received by election officials no earlier than three months prior to the election and no later than the third business day before the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be received by election officials by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.[4]
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
In Maine, people convicted of a felony who are incarcerated retain their right to vote. These individuals may cast a vote while incarcerated for the municipality they resided in prior to their incarceration.
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[5]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Maine can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Maine Municipal Clerks and Registrars
Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions
- 101 State House Station
- Augusta, Maine 04333-0101
- Phone: 207-624-7736
- Fax: 207-287-5428
- Email: cec.elections@maine.gov
- Website: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/index.html
Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices
- Physical Address: 45 Memorial Circle, 2nd Floor
- Augusta, Maine 04330
- Mailing Address: 135 State House Station
- Augusta, Maine 04333
- Phone: 207-287-4179
- Fax: 207-287-6775
- Email: ethics@maine.gov
- Website: https://www.maine.gov/ethics/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
The Ballot Bulletin
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Recent issues
Click below to view recent issues of The Ballot Bulletin.
- The Ballot Bulletin: July 19, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: July 12, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: June 28, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: June 21, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: June 14, 2024
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Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2024
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2024
See also
- 2024 election dates and deadlines
- Voter ID in Maine
- Election administration in Maine
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Maine
Elections in Maine
- Maine elections, 2024
- Maine elections, 2023
- Maine elections, 2022
- Maine elections, 2021
- Maine elections, 2020
- Maine elections, 2019
- Maine elections, 2018
- Maine elections, 2017
- Maine elections, 2016
- Maine elections, 2015
- Maine elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, "State of Maine Voter Guide," accessed April 14, 2023
- ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Title 21-A, Chapter 9, Section 626," accessed April 14, 2023
- ↑ Maine Secretary of State, "Your Right to Vote in Maine," accessed April 15, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Maine.gov, "Absentee Voting Guide," April 15, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
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