Maine
Voting Guide
Voter Registration Deadline: 21 days before Election Day, and in-person registration is available at a town office or city hall through Election Day.
2020
Presidential Primary Elections: March 3
Partisan Primary (Other Offices) Registration Deadline: May 22
Partisan Primary (Other Offices): June 9
General Election Registration Deadline: October 13 by mail. Register October 13th through Election Day at a town office or city hall only.
General Election: November 3
More election information at www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/
PDF Voter Registration Form available at https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/pdf/voterregcard20.pdf
Students have a choice about where to register to vote.
Students attending college may register at their campus address or choose to remain registered or register at their permanent or home address.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
The registration form requires you to put down your Maine driver’s license or state ID card number, or if you don’t have one of those, then the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number. If the state is able to verify that information, then you will not need to show any other identification.
If you are registering for the first time and register by mail or voter registration drive, and those numbers cannot be verified, or if you are registering at the polls on Election Day, you will need to present, a copy of one of the following forms of identification, if voting by mail, or the original, if voting in person:
Government-issued photo ID, including a U.S. passport, military ID, driver’s license, or state ID;
Other government-issued ID without a photograph such as a certified copy of a birth certificate or a signed Social Security card; or
A utility bill, bank statement, a government paycheck, a paycheck, a document confirming eligibility for public benefits, or other government document with the voter’s name and address.
Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at: www.maine.gov/portal/government/edemocracy/voter_lookup.php
2020
Deadline to request an absentee ballot electronically: October 29 at 5:00 pm
By Mail
Any registered voter may cast an absentee ballot without an excuse.
You can contact your local election official for a mail-in ballot. Find information at: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/munic.html
You can apply for an absentee ballot electronically at https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl
You can also find a printable PDF absentee ballot application at https://apps.web.maine.gov/online/AbsenteeBallot/ABS-2020-11-03.pdf
Absentee ballots may be requested beginning three months before Election Day and up to three business days before Election Day.
Absentee ballots must be received by the municipal clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Early In Person
Maine voters can vote early by filling out an absentee ballot in person at the municipal clerk’s office prior to Election Day.
Absentee ballots are generally available at a municipal clerk’s office 30 to 45 days before Election Day and are able to be cast in person up until the Thursday prior to an election. You can register in person and vote early on the same day.
Election Day
Voting sites will open between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., depending on your municipality, and will close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by the closing time then you must be allowed to vote. Please contact your municipal election officials for your municipality’s polling times. Find their contact information at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/munic.html
Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your:
Federal Financial Aid
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.
Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.
Tuition Status
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.
Will registering to vote in Maine affect my driver’s license or car registration?
Maybe. Registering to vote in Maine may have consequences for your driver’s license or car registration. If you drive a car in Maine, you are required to obtain a Maine driver’s license within thirty days of establishing residency in the state. If you are a resident of Maine and own a vehicle in the state, state law also requires you to register that vehicle in Maine.
