How to Vote in Maine

You can vote in Maine if you are:

• A citizen of the United States
• An established resident in the town where you intend to register and vote
• At least 18 years of age

You cannot be turned away from your voting place if you meet those requirements.

You must be allowed to vote a challenged ballot even if you don't have ID or proof of where you live.

You must first register to vote. As of January 1, 2020, you may pre-register when you are 16, but you must be 18 years old to vote.

Registered voters who are 17 years old may vote in primary elections if they will be 18 by the general election.

Registered voters are not required to show ID in order to vote.

Voters with questions can call the State's Elections Division in Augusta at (207) 624-7650.

Voters can also 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.

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

For more information on voter rights in Maine, click here.

It's never too late to register to vote in Maine. The deadline to register by mail has passed, but you can still register to vote in person!

• You can register to vote right up to and on 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.
• Voters do not need to be enrolled in a party to vote in a general election, on any statewide ballot question, or in a municipal election.

Whether you register in-person or by mail, you will need to provide proof of identity and proof of residence. 

Here are examples that you can use to prove identity:

• Government document or credential with photo ID (i.e. driver’s license, State ID, valid U.S. Passport, military ID)
• Government ID document/credential without photo (i.e. certified birth certificate or signed Social Security card)
• An official document that shows name and address of voter (i.e. eligibility for public benefits, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck)
• Verified unique identifier (Maine driver’s license number or last four numbers of Social Security Number)

Proof of residence includes:

• a direct statement of your intention to reside at a particular place;
• the location of any dwelling you currently occupy;
• the place where you have registered your motor vehicle (if you own the vehicle);
• your current income tax return showing your residence address;
• the residence address where your mail is received;
• the residence address on your current hunting or fishing license;
• the residence address shown on your driver’s license;
• your eligibility for public benefits based on residency; or
• any other objective facts that tend to indicate your place of residence.

Incarcerated persons: If you are incarcerated in a correctional facility or in a county jail, you are entitled to register to vote with your previous residence (a home to which you intend to return) before incarceration.

Homeless/Displaced persons: If you are experiencing homelessness or living in a shelter, you are entitled to register to vote in Maine, even if you have a non-traditional address. You may submit a physical description of your place of residence, under oath, to your town clerk instead of other residency documentation. Voters who are experiencing homelessness are not required to present a mailing address in order to register to vote.

Register by mail:

This deadline has passed for the 2020 general election.

For the November 3 general election, if you register by mail, your registration must be received by your town clerk by October 19 (15 days before election day). You can pick up a Maine Voter Registration Application at your Town Office, at any Motor Vehicle branch office, in most state & federal social service agencies, or at voter registration drives. You can also print off the voter registration application here. 

Instructions for completing the voter registration and application. 

New voters who register by mail must provide a copy of certain identity documents with the completed registration form. The mail-in registrant may submit a copy of a Maine Driver’s License or other valid photo ID, a current utility bill, a bank statement, a paycheck stub or other government document that shows the voter’s current name and address.

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

You may also complete the National Mail Voter Registration Form from the website of the Election Assistance Commission.

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, or October 2 for the November election.

Register in-person with your Town Clerk

Click here to find your Town Clerk's address. You can register in person at your town office up to and including on Election Day.

Register through a 3rd Party

In addition to your town office, you can register in person through any Motor Vehicle branch office, in most state & federal social service agencies, or at voter registration drives. But remember, voter registration applications must be received by your town clerk fiftee days prior to Election Day. 

Click here for complete information on voting in Maine from the Secretary of State.

In 2019, Maine passed automatic voter registration(AVR), which is scheduled to go into full effect in January, 2022. Read more about Maine's AVR law.

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.

*Note: the League recommends that you mail your ballot by October 19, which has now passed. If you have requested and received your absentee ballot, you should return it in person or by dropbox to make sure it is received and accepted on time. 

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is normally the Thursday before Election Day unless the voter completes a special circumstances application, stating one of four allowable reasons for requesting an absentee ballot after this deadline. For November 2020, this deadline has been extended until the Friday before Election Day. For the November 3 election, the last day to request a no-excuse absentee ballot will be October 30. 

After that, you will need one of these four reasons:

• An unexpected absence from the municipality during the entire time the polls are open on Election Day;
• A physical disability, or an incapacity or illness that makes the voter unable to leave home or a treatment facility;
• An inability to travel to the polls because the voter is a resident of a coastal island ward or precinct; or
• Illness or incapacity that prevents the voter from leaving home or a treatment facility.

This special circumstances application must be signed by the voter.

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, age of at least 18 years, 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.

How can survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking who are enrolled in Maine’s Address Confidentiality program vote in November? 

Survivors in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) can register to vote in the municipality where they live. When you were certified into the ACP, you received a voter authorization card. This card shows your name, voter code, designated ACP address and an expiration date. Present this card to the registrar at your local town office and tell them you want to register to vote. The registrar will contact the Secretary of State’s Office with your code and confirm you are an eligible voter for that municipality. The registrar must keep all of your registration records confidential and sealed, and your name cannot be placed on any publicly available voter lists. The Maine Law that allows ACP participants to register to vote where they reside is Title 21-A, Section 122-A.

Survivors registered in the ACP are entitled to receive an absentee ballot for every election without needing to submit a request. For all participants in the ACP who are registered to vote, the local clerk should mail your absentee ballot to your ACP address as soon as possible after ballots become available in that municipality. You do not need to request an absentee ballot. It will automatically be sent to you by the local clerk. The Maine Secretary of State’s Office is working with all municipalities with registered ACP participants to make sure this happens correctly for the November 3rd election. When you return your absentee ballot, you can sign your voter code (found on your voter authorization card) on the absentee ballot envelope instead of signing your name. The Maine Law that allows survivors enrolled in the ACP to receive an absentee ballot automatically at their ACP address is Title 21-A, Section 753-C.

Survivors who registered in the ACP and are registered voters do not have to vote absentee, and can still choose to vote in person in the municipality where they are registered. If you have concerns about an abusive person learning where you live, you can get more information about the Address Confidentiality Program here or by being in touch with any of Maine’s Domestic Violence Resource Centers. Call MCEDV’s 24-Hour statewide domestic violence helpline to connect with a local advocate: 1.866.834.4357. Deaf or hard of hearing? Call 1.800.437.1220.

This information is provided by the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence. Learn more about their work here.