Absentee ballots are available at most municipal offices in Maine on Tuesday, kicking off voting ahead of a Nov. 7 election marked by a long state referendum ballot and local elections in some areas.
Maine uses absentee ballots effectively as a form of early voting. You can go to your local office and vote in the presence of the clerk from today until Nov. 2, the Thursday before the election.
If you want an absentee ballot but do not want to vote in person using it, you can request a ballot online through the Maine secretary of state’s office or getting them in person or by phone from your city hall or town office. It will come to you by mail.
Absentee ballots can be returned in person to your local clerk or placed in a designated drop box, if available, until 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you are mailing it to your local office, the U.S. Postal Service advises sending it back at least a week before the election to ensure it arrives.