Maine
Voting Guide
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline: 21 days before Election Day
In-person registration is available at a town office or city hall through Election Day.
2022
Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline: May 24
Primary Election: June 14
General Election Voter Registration Deadline: October 18
General Election: November 8
Official Election Websites
More election information available at:
Mail-in Voter Registration Form available at:
https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/pdf/voterregcard20.pdf
Register at School or Home
Students have a decision about where to register to vote.
You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family's home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
The registration form requires you to provide your Maine driver’s license or state ID card number, or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number.
Eligible voters registering for the first time in Maine who submit their registration forms by mail must also include a copy of one of the following types of ID:
Maine-issued driver’s license or ID
Current utility bill, bank statement, or government document showing the voter’s name and address
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
Maine does not require voters to present an ID to vote.
Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at:
How Can I Vote?
By Mail
Any registered voter may cast an absentee ballot without an excuse.
Apply for an absentee ballot electronically at:
https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl
You can request your ballot by contacting your municipal clerk’s office.
Absentee ballot request forms must be received by 5 p.m. on Thursday before Election Day.
Completed absentee ballots must be received by the municipal clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can return your absentee ballot by mail, in person at your municipal clerk’s office, or at a designated secure drop box. Please contact your municipal clerk’s office for drop box locations.
Voters with disabilities can receive, mark, and submit their absentee ballots electronically. For more information, visit:
https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/voter-info/accessiblevoting.html.
Early In-Person
Any registered voter 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 days before Election Day until the Thursday prior to Election 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 have the right to vote.
Common Questions/Concerns
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?
As a new resident of Maine, you may have to obtain a Maine driver’s license and update your car’s registration, regardless of whether you register to vote there. For more information, you may wish to contact the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Maine legal professional.
Last updated May 2022