Maine Election Guide

Election 2024 Information for South Portland, ME

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

Election 2024 Ballot Measures

Maine Limit Contributions to Super PACs Initiative

This initiated bill limits the amount of contributions that may be made by individuals
and by political action committees and business entities to political action committees that
make independent expenditures. In both cases, the aggregate limit is $5,000 in any calendar
year.

More Information: Click Here

Maine Science and Technology Research and Commercialization Bond Issue

A bond issue of $25,000,000 to provide funds, to be awarded through a competitive process and to leverage matching private and federal funds on at least a one-to-one basis, for research and development and commercialization for Maine-based public and private institutions in support of technological innovation in the targeted sectors of life sciences and biomedical technology, environmental and renewable energy technology, information technology, advanced technologies for forestry and agriculture, aquaculture and marine technology, composites and
advanced materials and precision manufacturing.

More Information: Click Here

Maine Historic Community Buildings Bond Issue

The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $10,000,000, will be used to restore historic community buildings, with funds being issued contingent on a 25% local match requirement from either private or nonprofit sources, the process to be administered by the Director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

More Information: Click Here

Maine Development and Maintenance of Trails Bond Issue

A $30,000,000 bond issue to invest in the design, development and maintenance for nonmotorized, motorized and multiuse trails statewide, to be matched by at least $3,000,000 in private and public contributions.

More Information: Click Here

Maine State Flag Referendum

Replaces the existing state flag with a flag consisting of a pine tree and the North Star on a buff (light tan) background, often called the Pine Tree Flag.

More Information: Click Here

Your Elected Officials

Joe Biden
Democratic 
President
Kamala Harris
Democratic 
Vice President
Susan Collins
Republican 
U.S. Senate
District Senior Seat
Angus King
Independent 
U.S. Senate
District Junior Seat
Chellie Pingree
Democratic 
U.S. House
District 1
Janet Mills
Democratic 
Governor
Matthew Beck
Democratic 
State House
District 122
Deqa Dhalac
Democratic 
State House
District 120
Christopher Kessler
Democratic 
State House
District 121
Kelly Murphy
Democratic 
State House
District 125
Sophia Warren
Democratic 
State House
District 124
Stacy Brenner
Democratic 
State Senate
District 30
Anne Carney
Democratic 
State Senate
District 29
Aaron Frey
Democratic 
Attorney General
Shenna Bellows
Democratic 
Secretary of State
Matthew Dunlap
Democratic 
Auditor
Kirsten Figueroa
 
Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services
Pender Makin
 
Commissioner of Education
Laura Fortman
 
Commissioner of Labor
Anne Head
 
Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation
Philip Bartlett
Democratic 
Public Utilities Commissioner
Randall Davis
 
Public Utilities Commissioner
Pat Scully
 
Public Utilities Commissioner
Eric Cioppa
 
Superintendent of the Insurance Department
Henry Beck
Democratic 
Treasurer
Wendy Ault
 
State Board of Education
Kristin Bishop
 
State Board of Education
Paulette Bonneau
 
State Board of Education
Fern Desjardins
 
State Board of Education
James Ford
 
State Board of Education
Ryan Hafener
 
State Board of Education
Thomas Keller
 
State Board of Education
Victoria Kornfield
 
State Board of Education
Joshua Leinwand
 
State Board of Education
Edmond Morin
 
State Board of Education