Here in Maine, our voting laws make it easy to make a difference with your voice and your vote. There is no cut-off date for registering in person at your town office or city hall. You can register to vote until Election Day, and even register on Election Day right at your polling place!
Register as a Maine Democrat today. We are the party committed to expanding opportunity for all Maine people, and we believe we can do that by giving everyone a fair shot and removing the barriers that hold people back.
Remember, we are working not just for one election. We are building a movement to make government at every level work for the people.
REGISTRATION AND VOTING FAQ
Who can vote?
- Any citizen 18 and older who has a principle residence in Maine and has registered.
- In Maine, felons may vote.
- (You may vote in a primary if you will be 18 at the time of the general election.)
Registering to vote.
- Any citizen 18 and older who has a principle residence in Maine may register. (You must be 18 to vote.)
- Register by filling out a voter registration card and then bringing or mailing it to your town office or city hall or mailing it to the Secretary of State’s Office in Augusta.
- You can register at your polling place on election day.
- Valid identification is required to register. These include a driver’s license, Maine State ID, the last 4 digits of your social security number, or a bank statement or bill with your name and address on it.
- In Maine, felons may vote.
Where do you vote?
- Most voters will vote at their to municipal offices or some other designated location. You can look this up online by ward or by street address if you are unsure.
- Polls are open from 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. on election day.
- In Maine you may vote absentee (by mail) or through other accessible means. Learn more by clicking on one of the links above.
You can bring a relative or friend or ask for voting assistance from an election official if you need help reading or marking the ballot.
Early and absentee voting.
- In Maine, early voting and absentee voting are similar.
- You do not need to give a reason to vote early or absentee.
- Beginning 3 months before an election and up to the close of business on Thursday before election day you can request an absentee ballot in any of the following ways:
- In person at your town office or city hall.
- You can fill out an online request for an absentee ballot.
- You can print a request for an absentee ballot online here and then mail it in.
- You can call your City Clerk or Town Office and request that an absentee ballot be sent to you at the address you provide.
- Early voting: In Maine, ballots become available 30 days before every election.
- If you pick up a ballot at the city clerk’s office, you can fill it out and turn it in then, or you can take it home and mail it back.
- IMPORTANT about mailed ballots: The back of the envelope MUST be signed. If it is not, your vote will not be counted. If you bring or mail it back, it must arrive at the City Clerk’s office by 8 pm on election day, so mailed ballots should be mailed the Friday before at the latest.
Resources for more information:
- General Maine voter information.
- Maine Voter Information Service. If you enter your town and street number it will tell you your ward and precinct, US Congressional and State Senate and Representative districts, where you vote, who your elected federal, state and local officials are and how to contact them. You can also see sample ballots here when they are made available.
- Upcoming elections lists what elections are coming and provides information about other election issues.
- Ranked choice voting information.
- Candidate information.
- Maine League of Women Voters.
- Maine voter rights.
- Maine voter residence fact sheet
- Vote.org is a non-partisan group that offers online tools to check your registration status, start the registration process, request an absentee ballot, and sign up for reminders to vote. It is a very complete and useful resource.
- Balletopedia.org is a non-partisan group that offers online information and links for more detailed information about voting in Maine. You can sign up with them for email notifications about election-related issues.
Links to the Secretary of State documentation
Questions about the voting process?
If you have questions about the voting process, your local municipal office (generally the City/Town Clerk’s office) and the Secretary of State’s office are generally the most prepared to answer questions about the voting process. If you are unsure of information that you have gotten regarding voting rights, how to vote, or how to register to vote please be sure you are contacting official sources.