What’s in this guide
- Your Election Questions, Answered
- Key Voting Deadlines
- Ask the BDN a Question
- Statewide Referendum Guide
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 register to vote online for the first time this year. You can fill out a registration card at your city or town office or any Bureau of Motor Vehicles location.
You can also register on Election Day at your polling place. If you do that, you must provide proof of residence at your address, such as an ID or a utility bill.
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. The state recommends allowing seven to 10 days to get your ballot if you request one less than a month before the election.
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.
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 right now. The cutoff to vote in person is Thursday, Oct. 30, 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.
Key Voting Deadlines
After Monday, Oct. 6
Thursday, Oct. 30
Tuesday, Nov. 4
Election Day, most polls open by 8 a.m. and all close at 8 p.m., unless voters are still in line.
Have a question not answered?
Form for the audience to ask questions on our voter guide and other election content.
Statewide Referendum Guide
A guide to the voter ID and red flag referendums on the Maine ballot
The proposals have previously cropped up in Augusta but will now see voters settle them on Election Day.
Below is the order of initiatives as they will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Question 1:
Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?
This long question would put Maine among 36 states that require voters to show a form of ID before voting, something that is only required before registering to vote here now. It also includes significant restrictions on absentee voting. Notably, it would get rid of the ability to request ballots by phone and on behalf of family members and overturn a 2024 law that allowed older voters or those with disabilities to sign up to automatically get absentee ballots.
Those different elements have led to a dissonant campaign. Republicans who support the referendum have focused on voter ID, which is popular in both Maine and national surveys. But voters are also keen on liberal absentee voting policies like the ones we have here. Consequently, the Democratic-led group on the no side is called “Save Maine Absentee Voting.”
Question 2:
Do you want to allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or others?
This is best known as a “red flag law,” a gun control policy that 21 states and Washington, D.C., have. It is a more direct path to gun seizures than Maine’s 2019 law that allows police to take a person into protective custody and order a mental health evaluation before petitioning a judge to temporarily remove weapons from people deemed dangerous.
The current “yellow flag” was a compromise brokered between Gov. Janet Mills and advocates on both sides of the gun debate. It was rarely used until the 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, which led to scrutiny around how the law was passed and police use of it. Increased awareness and legal tweaks have led Maine police to use it more than 1,000 times since then.
Question 2’s backers, including many Democrats, say the current law is inadequate and families should be allowed to trigger the process in time of crisis. Gun-rights groups including the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, the National Rifle Association and prominent Republicans cite due process concerns. Mills also backs a no vote.
