Voter Registration
Registration Deadline: There is no cut-off date for registering to vote in person at your town office or city hall. If you want to register to vote by mail or online, the cut-off date is the close of business 21 days before the election.
Party Affiliation: Voters must check the box if they want to be a member of one of the four qualified political parties (the Democratic Party, the Green Independent Party, the Libertarian Party or the Republican Party) in Maine, in order to participate in party primaries, caucuses, conventions or other political party activities. Voters who check “Other qualifying party” (with or without writing a designation on the line provided) and voters who choose Unenrolled (no party choice) will be designated as “U” on the voting list and will not be eligible to vote in party primaries, caucuses and conventions, but can vote in other elections.
Obtaining a Voter Registration Form
Online: Maine does not offer online registration.
In person:
You can register to vote 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
By fax: Contact your municipal registrar to learn about faxing options.
Voter Registration Qualifications
Age: At least 18 years old by the General Election Day. A 17 year old may vote in a Primary Election if that person will be 18 by the General Election.
Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen
Residency: Must be registered in the community where you reside
Felony Convictions: No disenfranchisement; felons can vote while serving their prison sentence.
ID Requirements: Registered voters do not need to show an ID to get a ballot.
New Maine voters must provide an applicable ID number:
-Maine driver's license
-Maine State ID
-Last four digits of your Social Security number
- OR Utility bill, a bank statement, a paycheck stub or a government document that shows your name and address.
If you decide to mail your card and a copy of your identity document, make sure it will arrive at least 21 days before the election date.
Voter Rights in Maine
Verifying Your Voter Registration Status
Phone: To verify your voter registration status, please contact your municipal elections office
Absentee Ballot Qualifications
Who can vote absentee: 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. Voters who will be at least 65 years of age by the next election or who self-identify as having a disability may apply for ongoing absentee voter status
Obtaining an Absentee Ballot
Absentee ballots may be requested beginning 3 months before Election Day.
Online: You can request your own ballot electronically using the Secretary of State’s online absentee ballot request service.
In person: You may obtain an absentee ballot by making the request in person at your nearest municipal clerk's office.
By mail: 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.
Military and overseas voting: Uniformed Service and Overseas voters will request an absentee ballot directly from the Secretary of State, Division of Elections. Maine uses the FPCA (Federal Post Card Application) for military and overseas voters. Fill out an application and request a ballot.
Absentee request deadline: Absentee ballot requests are open until the 3rd business day before the election, unless the voter completes a special circumstances application.
Other absentee ballot information: You may also make a telephone request for an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots can be requested until 3 business days before an election.
You can request a “third person” (someone other than the voter or the voter's immediate family members) to obtain an absentee ballot. You must designate in a written request the specific third person to receive the ballot and it must be witnessed by either a notary public, a municipal clerk, a clerk of courts, or 2 other witnesses.
Submitting an Absentee Ballot
Location and time: To be counted, voted absentee ballots must be received by the municipal clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Fill out and deliver the ballot back to the municipal clerk, or to the Secretary of State, Division of Elections (if you are a Uniformed Service or Overseas voter).
Early Voting
Early voting qualifications: Maine differentiates early and absentee voting. However, Maine has only tested early voting pilot programs and has not put a permanent early voting system in place. See Maine's early voting page for more information.
PROVISIONAL (CHALLENGED) BALLOTS
A provisional ballot is a ballot cast by one whose eligibility to vote has been questioned during election day. All provisional ballots are initially counted in the same manner as regular ballots. No further determination is made on the challenge unless a recount occurs and it is determined that the challenged ballot could affect the outcome of the election.
MISCELLANEOUS
Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org
Polling Place: Contact your county clerk to find your polling place or visit this link.
How to Vote: Each ballot tells you how to mark your choices. If you have a question, ask an election official. If you make a mistake, fold your ballot and give it to an election official. The election official will give you another ballot.
Maine’s Vote in Honor of a Veteran program visit: https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/voter-info/veteran/index.html
Problems with voting: If you have any problems, or you are denied the right to vote, call the Elections Division immediately at 1-888-868-3763 or the Disability Rights Center at 1-800-452-1948. Or you can fill out a complaint form here. You can also visit Maine's HAVA overview site.
