2023 Maine Voter’s Guide
This November, Mainers will face a slate of referendum questions that will determine the future of the state’s electric utilities, potentially amend the constitution and provide the opportunity to implement a right to repair law. We’ve got the latest news to keep you updated on what your ballot will look like this fall.
FAQs
How do I register to vote?
Mainers 18 and older with a fixed and principal home in Maine are allowed to vote in the community they reside in.
New voters or those who have moved from one municipality to another can fill out a voter registration card at your city or town office or any Bureau of Motor Vehicles location. There is no cutoff for in-person registration and you can also register on Election Day at your polling place. You must provide proof of residence at your address, such as an ID or a utility bill.
Can’t get to the town office? You can also download a registration card, print and fill it out and then mail it there. It must be received by your local clerk by Oct. 17 if you are registering by mail.
I’m not sure if I’m registered to vote. How do I check?
You should be registered if you have ever voted in your municipality and have not since moved. To confirm your registration, call your municipal office. Third-party groups such as Vote.org and Rock the Vote offer reliable online registration lookup tools, but they are also trying to collect phone numbers for outreach efforts. Opt out unless you want more text messages.
How do I vote absentee in Maine?
Maine allows no-excuse absentee voting. You can request a ballot using the state’s online form or making a request at your municipal office. If you submit your request early, you will be among the first to get a ballot after clerks get them around Oct. 10, roughly a month before the Nov. 7 election.
The state recommends allowing seven to 10 days to get your ballot if you request one after that date. The deadline to get your ballot back to the local clerk is 8 p.m. on Election Day.
You can track the status of your ballot request — from when your local clerk receives the request to when they receive your ballot — using this online tool.
Key Voting Deadlines
Around Tuesday, Oct. 10
Thursday, Nov. 2
Deadline for in-person absentee voting at municipal offices
Tuesday, Nov. 7
Election Day, most polls open by 8 a.m. and all close at 8 p.m.
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Can I vote early at my municipal office?
Yes. In Maine, absentee voting is used like early voting systems in other states. You can fill out an absentee ballot in person at your municipal office as soon as ballots become available. The cutoff to vote in person is Thursday, Nov. 2, unless special circumstances exist.
Where is my polling place?
Polling places are typically in municipal offices, schools or other civic buildings, but they can be in other places as well. The state has an online tool to look up your polling place or you can call your municipal office.
The Ballot
Below is the order of initiatives as they will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot.
QUESTION 1: An Act to Require Voter Approval of Certain Borrowing by Government-controlled Entities and Utilities and to Provide Voters More Information Regarding That Borrowing.
Do you want to bar some quasi-governmental entities and all consumer-owned electric utilities from taking on more than $1 billion in debt unless they get statewide voter approval?
What you need to know about Question 1.
QUESTION 2: An Act to Prohibit Campaign Spending by Foreign Governments and Promote an Anticorruption Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Do you want to ban foreign governments and entities that they own, control, or influence from making campaign contributions or financing communications for or against candidates or ballot questions?
What you need to know about Question 2.
QUESTION 3: An Act to Create the Pine Tree Power Company, a Nonprofit, Customer-owned Utility.
Do you want to create a new power company governed by an elected board to acquire and operate existing for-profit electricity transmission and distribution facilities in Maine?
What you need to know about Question 3.
QUESTION 4: An Act Regarding Automotive Right to Repair.
Do you want to require vehicle manufacturers to standardize on-board diagnostic systems and provide remote access to those systems and mechanical data to owners and independent repair facilities?
What you need to know about Question 4.
QUESTION 5: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Regarding the Timing of Judicial Review of the Determination of the Validity of Written Petitions.
Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to change the time period for judicial review of the validity of written petitions from within 100 days from the date of filing to within 100 business days from the date of filing of a written petition in the office of the Secretary of State, with an exception for petitions filed within 30 calendar days before or after a general election?
What you need to know about Question 5.
QUESTION 6: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Require All Provisions in the Constitution to Be Included in the Official Printing.
Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to require that all of the provisions of the Constitution be included in the official printed copies of the Constitution prepared by the Secretary of State?
What you need to know about Question 6.
QUESTION 7: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Align the Proceedings for Circulating Written Petitions for People’s Vetoes and Direct Initiatives with Federal Law.
Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to remove a provision requiring a circulator of a citizen’s initiative or people’s veto petition to be a resident of Maine and a registered voter in Maine, requirements that have been ruled unconstitutional in federal court?
What you need to know about Question 7.
QUESTION 8: RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Allow Persons Under Guardianship for Mental Illness to Be Electors.
Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to remove a provision prohibiting a person under guardianship for reasons of mental illness from voting for Governor, Senators and Representatives, which the United States District Court for the District of Maine found violates the United States Constitution and federal law?
What you need to know about Question 8.
