Elections & Voter Information

Information on how to register and vote in Maine, absentee voting, voter rights, avoiding problems at the polls, caucuses, and the Electoral College.

Primary Elections in 2008.  Voter Eligibility.  Register to Vote.  Absentee Voting in Maine.  Maine Voter Rights.  Avoiding Problems.  Caucuses.  Electoral College.

Primary Elections in 2008

General Information

June 10, 2008 is the date for Maine's primary elections for state and federal office. Referenda may also be on the ballot. The Secretary of State of Maine frequently updates the list of candidates and referenda that will appear on the ballot and has a guide for candidates and more at their website.

You may register to vote on Election Day. Voters who have already registered but not enrolled in a party may enroll in a party at the polls on election day.

Voters need to be enrolled in a party to vote in that party's primary election. Anyone wishing to change party enrollment must do so at least 15 days before Election Day in order to vote in that party's primary or caucus. Voters do not need to be enrolled in a party to vote on any statewide referenda or in municipal elections, should those be on the ballot. A voter may change party enrollment designation anytime after 3 months from the date on which the voter last enrolled. See the State Law on Registration and Enrollment for details.

Applications for absentee ballots will be available upon request after March 10, 2008. For details, see the Maine SOS Voter Information Page and our Absentee Voting in Maine section below.

Information about upcoming elections may also be available at party websites:

Maine Republican Party

Maine Democratic Party

Maine Green Independent Party

Maine Libertarian Party

Maine Constitution Party

Voter Eligibility

You can register to vote in Maine if you are:

A citizen of the United States
An established resident in the municipality where you intend to register and vote
At least 17 years of age (you must be 18 years old to vote)

Click here for more information on establishing residency from the Maine Secretary of State's web site.

Register to Vote

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. On Election Day, you can register right at your polling place.

Register by mail:

If you register by mail, registrations must be received by your Town Clerk no later than three (3) weeks prior to Election Day.

Click here to find your Town Clerk's address from the Secretary of State's web site.

Registrations may also be mailed to the Secretary of State in Augusta:

Bureau of Corporation, Elections and Commissions
101 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333.

Registrations mailed to the Secretary of State should be received thirty (30) days prior to Election Day.

Register in person with your Town Clerk

Click here to find your Town Clerk's address.

Click here to find the State of Maine Voter Guide 2007

Absentee Voting in Maine

Absentee voting allows you to cast a ballot without going to a polling location on Election Day. Any registered voter in Maine may cast an absentee ballot instead of voting in person at a polling location on Election Day. Absentee voting is anonymous and convenient. You can request an absentee ballot by mail, by phone, online, or in person.

Request an absentee ballot by mail:

Click here to download a blank request form for printing:

Make your request early to allow enough time for the ballot to be mailed to you.

Mail to your Town Clerk. Absentee ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. on election day to be counted.

Click here to find your Town Clerk's address.

Request an absentee ballot by phone from your Town Clerk:

Click here to find your Town Clerk's phone number.

Request an absentee ballot in person at your Town Office:

Absentee ballots are available to voters from at least thirty (30) days prior to Election Day, through Election Day. Once available, you may obtain an absentee ballot in person from your Town Clerk.

Click here to find your Town Clerk's address.

Request an absentee ballot online:

Click here for an online request form.

A Guide to Absentee Voting in Maine

Click here for the State of Maine Absentee Voter Guide.

Maine Voter Rights

You can vote in Maine if you are:

A citizen of the United States

An established resident in the municipality where you intend to register and vote

At least 18 years of age

Voters with questions and concerns can call the toll free election protection hotline, 1-866-OUR-VOTE. The Election Protection voter empowerment program is a coordinated nonpartisan effort to address obstructions of voting rights. Questions can also be directed to the State's Elections Division in Augusta at 624-7650.

For more information on voter rights in Maine, click here

Avoiding Problems at the Polls

Your Ballot, Your Vote. Don't panic if you registered to vote but your name is not on the list. Get help from a poll worker to make sure your vote is counted. Remember, Maine has same day registration. You can still register on Election Day. You may be directed to another polling place. Or you may be given a challenged ballot.

Challenged ballots are a safeguard for voters whose eligibility is in question on Election Day, including those whose voter registration is in doubt, who may have been purged from the voter list by mistake, or who registered by mail and have I.D. problems. No one who is eligible to vote should be turned away. (The only eligibility requirements are U.S. Citizenship, at least 18 years of age, and residency in the municipality where the person registers to vote.)

I.D. - Don't Go Without It. You may need to show identification. To be safe, bring your driver's license, or a paycheck, utility bill or government document that includes your name and street address. First-time voters who registered by mail may be asked to present I.D. prior to voting on Election Day. If you don't have appropriate I.D., you may vote a challenged ballot.

Writing on the Wall. Look at the signs at the polling place for directions on how to mark your ballot, a list of your voting rights, and instructions for filing a complaint if your rights have been violated. Among other things, information regarding what constitutes a spoiled ballot and instructions for securing a new ballot should be provided. If you make a mistake on a ballot, you can ask for another.

When in Doubt - Ask. Poll workers are there to help you. They'll show you how to mark your ballot and give you a challenged ballot if you need one. If you're at the wrong polling place, they should tell you how to get to the right one. Poll workers are a wealth of information for voters. And you won't be alone - this year promises to bring out more first-time voters than ever before. You won't be the only one with questions.

In and Out. You probably won't have to wait too long. But even if the line is long, don't leave without voting. The outcome of this election will be important!

Avoid the Crowds. Many voters feel they don't have time to vote, and that's why they haven't participated in the past. If you can, go to the polls during the off hours: 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Or you can vote at home! Absentee voting is anonymous and convenient. You can get an absentee ballot by phone, by mail, or in person from your Town Clerk.

Still have a problem? Voters with questions and concerns can call the toll free election protection hotline, 1-866-OUR-VOTE. The Election Protection voter empowerment program is a coordinated nonpartisan effort to address obstructions of voting rights. Questions can also be directed to the State's Elections Division in Augusta at 624-7650.

Don't think you know enough about the issues? Go online. Internet resources are available at most public libraries, and there is a wealth of information online. Keep an eye on the League of Women Voter's website for more on the candidates and the issues. Voters can find information on ballot initiatives, links to other informative web sites, information on how to find their polling place, candidates in their new electoral districts and much more.

Caucuses

History of Presidential Primaries and Caucuses in Maine

Prior to 1995, Maine had a law allowing qualified political parties the option to hold a Presidential Primary Election after January 1st of the presidential election year. However, the decision process was complex and parties traditionally indicated their preference for presidential candidates at the biennial municipal caucuses. In 1995, the Maine Legislature replaced the Presidential Primary law with a new Presidential Preference Primary law, simplifying the process considerably. In both 1996 and 2000, the major qualified political parties (Democratic and Republican) opted to hold Presidential Preference Primaries. In 2003, the Maine Legislature repealed the Presidential Preference Primary law. Therefore, in 2004 and subsequent election years, the parties will revert to the biennial municipal caucuses to indicate their support for presidential candidates.

Municipal Caucuses

The major political parties hold biennial municipal caucuses. In order to be designated a "qualified party," the party must hold biennial municipal caucuses before March 20 in at least one municipality in each county in the State during general election years. At this time, the three qualified parties are the Maine Democratic Party, the Maine Green Independent Party, and the Maine Republican Party. Among the most important purposes of the caucus are the following:

o Electing delegates to the party's state convention
o Electing municipal party officers.

The procedures for conducting the municipal caucus are largely determined by the caucus itself and by party rules. The political party also determines the number of state convention delegates to which a municipality is entitled.

During a presidential election year, delegates to state convention from a municipality are typically chosen based on the results of the caucus and are pledged to support a specific candidate. In general, the candidate with the most support in the caucus will have the most committed delegates to state convention. Again, party rules govern the method of determining which candidates are favored by caucus participants, and the rules for allocating delegates among candidates to be the party's nominee are also determined by the party.

Notice of the municipal caucus is to be published as follows:

o Published in a local newspaper between 3 and 7 days before the caucus
OR
o Posted in a public place in each voting district of the municipality seven days before the caucus.

The chairman or a majority of the members of a municipal committee of the party may call municipal caucuses. If there is no municipal committee in your town, any resident voter enrolled in a party may call a caucus for the purpose of electing the municipal committee and for conducting other business following party rules.

If you have a question about your party's caucus in your municipality, contact state party officials.

State and National Conventions

Each qualified party must hold a state convention between March 1 and August 1 during general election years, that is, every two years in the even-numbered years. Among the most important purposes of the state convention are the following:

o Adopting a platform for the next general election
o Electing state and county officers
o Electing delegates to the national party conventions
o Nominating presidential electors.

Delegates to the national nominating convention are typically chosen based on the results of the caucuses in the state and are pledged to support a specific candidate. Although the party nominee is widely known long before the national convention actually takes place, this is the official mechanism by which a party's presidential and vice presidential candidates are chosen.

Electoral College

In a presidential election year, a vote for the candidate for President is a vote for the presidential electors nominated by the candidate's political party. In Maine, each party's state convention nominates four electors, one from each congressional district and two at large.

After the presidential election, the presidential electors convene to cast their ballots for President and Vice President. In Maine, the electors at large cast their ballots for the candidates who received the largest number of votes in the State overall; and the electors of each congressional district cast their ballots for the candidates who received the largest number of votes in their respective congressional district. (Maine is one of only two states that splits it electors by congressional district. Nebraska is the other.)

The Electoral College consists of a total of 538 electors nationwide (equal to the combined number of U.S. senators and representatives from each state, plus three for the District of Columbia). Candidates for President and Vice President must receive an absolute majority (270) of electoral votes to be elected.

Read more about the Electoral College:

Click here for a State of Maine link on how Maine's Electors are chosen.

Click here for the LWVUS link on how the Electoral College works in modern times, including pro and con arguments.

Click here to read the LWVUS position in favor of a direct popular election of the President.

Click here for the National Archives home page on the Electoral College.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: April 13, 2008 11:42 PDT.

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