Elections FAQ

Find answers to your commonly asked questions about voting and registering to vote in Maine.

General Voting Information

When is the next election?

A Primary Election and Referendum Election will be held June 10, 2008.

Where do I go to vote?

Every town and city has its own places where people vote. You can call your town office or city hall to find out where you vote, or use the online Voter Information Lookup service at http://www.maine.gov/portal/government/edemocracy/lookuppollingplace.php. Voting places open between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., depending on the size of the town. Local officials can give you the exact opening time for your community. All polling places close at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

How do I mark a ballot?

Each ballot tells you how to mark your choices. If you have a question, ask an election official. If you make a mistake, fold your ballot and give it to an election official. The election official will give you another ballot.

Can I have help voting?

Yes. If you need help reading or marking the ballot, you may ask a relative or friend for assistance. The helper does not have to be a voter or old enough to vote. An election official can also help you read or mark a ballot. However, your employer or union official cannot help you vote.

Do I need to go to the polls on Election Day to vote?

No. Any registered voter may cast an absentee ballot instead of voting in person at the polling place. You do not need to have a specific reason or be unable to vote at the polls on Election Day to use an absentee ballot. Call your town or city clerk for an application and assistance.

How do I locate and contact my municipal clerk?

You can find contact information for your town office or city hall on Maine.gov at http://www.maine.gov/local/.

You may also contact:
Office of the Secretary of State
Division of Elections
101 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0101
(207)624-7650
CEC.Elections@maine.gov
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/

What if I still have questions about registering or voting in Maine?

For more information contact:

Elections Division
101 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207)624-7650
CEC.Elections@maine.gov
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/

Registering to Vote

Who can register and vote in Maine?

To register, you must be a United State citizen, at least 17 years of age, and live in Maine. To vote you must be registered in the community where you reside, and be at least 18 years of age. A 17-year old may vote in a primary election if the voter will turn 18 by the General Election.

Where do I go to register?

You can register to vote at your town office or city hall, through any Motor Vehicle branch office, in most state & federal social service agencies, or at voter registration drives. Completed voter registration cards may be hand delivered or mailed to your town office or city hall, or sent to the Secretary of State’s Office in Augusta.

Is there a deadline for registering?

No. It’s never too late to register to vote in Maine. You can register to vote until, and including, Election Day. There is no cut-off date for registering to vote in person at your town office or city hall.

Absentee Voting

What is absentee voting and how does it work?

Absentee voting allows you to cast a ballot without going to a polling location on Election Day.

Who may vote absentee?

Any registered voter may cast an absentee ballot instead of voting in person at a polling location on Election Day. You don’t need to have a specific reason or be unable to vote at the polls on Election Day to receive an absentee ballot.

What are the steps to voting by absentee ballot?

First, complete an absentee ballot application to get a ballot. You may use the online Absentee Ballot Request service to complete the form electronically and then print the ready-to-mail form. The second step is to fill out and deliver the absentee ballot back to the municipal clerk.

When can I request an absentee ballot?

Absentee ballots may be requested beginning 3 months before Election Day. Make your request early to allow enough time for the ballot to be mailed to you.

How do I apply for and receive an absentee ballot?

You may request an absentee ballot in several ways:

Contact the municipal clerk in the town or city where you are registered to vote. You can make a telephone request for your own ballot, which will be mailed to the address you provide to the clerk.
You can also make a written request by completing an absentee ballot application. Use the online Absentee Ballot Request service to generate a completed, ready-to-mail request form. Applications are available beginning three months before Election Day. Completed applications can be mailed, faxed or delivered in person to the municipal clerk.

Additionally, you can obtain a ballot for an immediate family member through a written request. A ballot will be mailed to the voter directly or to an immediate family member making the request. Your municipal clerk can tell you who is considered immediate family under the law.

NOTE: Ballots obtained by the voter or an immediate family member do not require witnesses, unless the voter receives assistance from another person in reading or marking the ballot.

Can I vote by absentee ballot in person somewhere?

Yes. You may vote absentee at the clerk’s office as soon as absentee ballots are available. Absentee ballots are available 30 to 45 days before the election at the municipal clerk’s office. You don’t need to complete an application if you vote in person at the clerk’s office.

When must my voted ballot be returned to my municipal clerk?

To be counted, voted absentee ballots must be received by the municipal clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Are there any other ways to receive an absentee ballot?

You may make a written request for a “third person” someone other than the voter or the voter’s immediate family member) to obtain and hand-deliver an absentee ballot.

You must designate, in a written request or application, the specific third person who will handle and deliver the ballot. Only this designated third person may handle the absentee ballot.

Ballots cast in this way must be witnessed by either a notary public, a municipal clerk, a clerk of courts, or 2 other witnesses.

Citizen Initiatives

What are the laws governing the citizen initiative process?

The Maine Constitution, in Article IV, Part Third, sections 17, 18, 19, 20 and 22, provide the basic requirements for the statewide citizen initiative and people’s veto process. The Maine Election law, 21-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 11, Ballot Questions (sections 901 - 907), provides additional requirements for the Secretary of State in processing applications and drafting the ballot questions for citizen initiatives and people’s vetoes. The election page of the Secretary of State’s website provides additional information on the initiative process: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec

How does someone start a citizen initiative petition?

Six Maine registered voters (the “proponents”) submit an application to the Secretary of State for a citizen initiative, along with a draft of the statutory language they wish to adopt or amend.

Who decides the wording of the initiative legislation?

The Secretary of State forwards the initiative legislation to the Revisor of Statutes for review. The Revisor’s Office recommends changes that will put the legislation in the proper form for a Maine law (according to the drafting rules of the Maine Revised Statutes). The proponents have control over the final wording of the legislation, however, and are free to accept or reject the Revisor’s suggestions.

Who decides the wording of the ballot question?

The Secretary of State has the authority to write the ballot question, and must do so within 10 business days after the proponents give written acceptance to the Secretary of State of the final wording of the initiative legislation.

How is the petition form prepared?

The Secretary of State prepares a petition form, which includes the ballot question and the full text of the legislation being proposed, as well as instructions for voters and circulators and places for the municipal and State officials to certify the petitions.

How long can the proponents gather signatures for an initiative?

The date on which the Secretary of State provides the petition form to the proponents is the “date of issuance” of the petition. Proponents have 1 year from the date of issuance of the petition to gather signatures. If the proponents do not submit the circulated petitions to the Secretary of State by the one year deadline, the application and petition expire, and proponents must start the process over if they wish to continue.

How many signatures are needed for the petition to be valid?

Proponents need to collect a quantity of signatures of registered Maine voters that equals at least 10% of the total number of votes cast for Governor at the last Gubernatorial Election, which is currently 55,087 valid signatures. The petition signatures must be certified by municipal officials in the municipalities where the petitions were circulated.

What is the annual deadline to submit a petition to the Secretary of State in order for the question to appear on that year’s ballot?

During the odd-numbered year, the deadline is the 50th day after the convening of the Legislature in the First Regular Session. During the even-numbered year, the deadline is the 25th day after the convening of the Legislature in the Second Regular Session. If that day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline is 5:00 P.M. on the next business day.

What is the deadline for the Secretary of State to determine the validity of a petition?

The Secretary of State has 30 days from the deadline established in the Maine Constitution for petitions to be submitted to the Office of the Secretary of State, in which to issue a determination of validity for any petition submitted on or before that deadline.

What happens after the Secretary of State determines a petition to be valid?

After the Secretary of State determines that a petition is valid, the petition is immediately transmitted to the Legislature for its consideration. The Legislature may either approve the legislation exactly as written by the proponents or the Legislature may disapprove the legislation. If the Legislature approves the legislation, it becomes law without the approval of the voters. If the Legislature fails to approve the legislation, then the ballot question will be placed on the ballot in November of that year for consideration by the voters. The Legislature may adopt a competing measure that will appear on the ballot along with the related initiative.

If the voters approve an initiative question at a November election, when does the new law become effective?

Unless the legislation provides for a delayed effective date, an initiative approved by the voters becomes effective 30 days after the Governor proclaims the results of the election.

When do proponents or opponents of an initiative have to register as Political Action Committees (PACs) and begin reporting contributions and expenditures?

The laws governing PAC reporting are found in 21-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 13, Subchapter IV, Reports by Political Action Committees (sections 1051 through 1062-A). The Secretary of State has no jurisdiction over campaign finance reporting matters. Questions of this nature should be directed to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, which is the State entity that administers these laws.

Is the Legislature restricted at any point in the initiative process from making changes to laws governing the subject matter addressed in an initiative?

Neither the Maine Constitution nor the election laws bar the Legislature from making changes to the laws during the time an initiative petition is being circulated or after a law has been approved by the voters, nor are State Agencies barred from amending or adopting agency rules relating to an initiative, provided they have statutory authority to do so.

Are there restrictions on activities of State Agency personnel concerning a citizen initiative?

State Agencies should review 5 M.R.S.A., section 7056-A, which restricts political activities of classified and unclassified executive branch employees related to partisan candidate elections and, in some instances, to “measures”. The Bureau of Human Resources has periodically provided written memoranda on this issue, which may assist agencies in determining what activities are restricted. Additionally, the agency should review its internal policies or directives for guidance, and specific questions about restricted political activities should be discussed with the agency’s legal counsel.