More than 136,000 Maine voters have already voted in the upcoming midterm elections, according to the latest data from the secretary of state. The vast majority of those votes are coming from registered Democrats.
Registered Democrats historically use Maine’s mail and in-person absentee voting more than Republicans and unenrolled voters, but the rate of use this year could signal a significant edge in enthusiasm.
So far, more than 52% of ballots cast have come from Democrats. That’s more than double the 20% among Republicans, as well as unenrolled voters, also referred to as independents.
The pace among Democrats is well ahead of the 2024 election, a high enthusiasm year for Republicans, and about the same as the 2022 midterms, according to state data. Republican voters are well off the pace they set at this point two years ago when President Donald Trump was on the ballot.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.