Making Democracy Work
Information on how to register and vote in Maine.
2012 was a Presidential Election year. In Maine, we also voted for one U. S. Senate seat and for representatives to the U. S. House, one in each of our two Congressional districts. For more information, including a list of all candidates, visit the Secretary of State's website.
Statewide, we found one citizen initiative and four bond measures on our ballots. Each voter also found candidates for the State Senate and House on their ballot, as well as other local offices and issues.
Since the ballot is different for each town, look for voter information and a sample ballot at your town's website. Sample ballots may not be available very far in advance of the election. For example, sample ballots for Ellsworth can be found at the website for the City of Ellsworth. And here are links to sample ballots for the City of Portland. If your town has not posted a sample ballot, please call them and ask them to do so. Find contact information for your town on the State of Maine website.
Listen to the audio version of the Voter Guide provided by The Iris Network here.
Click here for the Easy-to-Read Voter Guide for 2011. In 2011, we also had a Guide to the Portland Mayoral Race, which was by Ranked Choice Voting. Click here for the Portland Guide. Literacy Volunteers of Maine helped make the guide easy to read.
The statewide ballot measures, in the order they appeared on the November 6, 2012, General Election ballot, are:
Question 1 (Citizen Initiative): Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples?
Question 2 (Bond Issue): Do you favor an $11,300,000 bond issue to provide funds for capital to build a diagnostic facility for the University of Maine System; for capital improvements and equipment, including machine tool technology, for the Maine Community College System; and for capital improvements and equipment at the Maine Maritime Academy?
Question 3 (Bond Issue): Do you favor a $5,000,000 bond issue to purchase land and conservation easements statewide from willing sellers for public land and water access, conservation, wildlife or fish habitat and outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing and deer wintering areas, and to preserve working farmland and working waterfronts to be matched by at least $5,000,000 in private and public contributions?
Question 4 (Bond Issue): Do you favor a $51,500,000 bond issue for improvements to highways and bridges, local roads, airports and port facilities, as well as for funds for rail access, transit buses and the LifeFlight Foundation, which will make the State eligible for at least $105,600,000 in federal and other matching funds?
Question 5 (Bond Issue): Do you favor a $7,925,000 bond issue to be expended over 2 years for revolving loan funds for drinking water systems and for wastewater treatment facilities, which will make the State eligible to secure $39,625,000 in federal grants?
For a searchable list of candidates for office within Maine, visit the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices.
True early voting is defined by the Maine Secretary of State to mean a time period before an election during which voters have the opportunity to cast a ballot at a designated voting place within their municipality in the same manner as on Election Day. This is technically a different process than the in-person absentee voting, with ballots being cast by the voter during the early voting period. The Maine Constitution and Maine law currently prohibit true early voting.
Read more about Early Voting at the Secretary of State's web site.
Voters who have already registered but have not enrolled in a party may enroll in a party at the polls on Election Day. Voters must be enrolled in a party to vote in that party's primary election or caucus. Any voter who wishes to change party enrollment must do so at least 15 days before the vote.
A voter may change party enrollment at anytime after 3 months from the date on which the voter last enrolled.
Political Party Websites
Information about upcoming elections may also be available at party websites:
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 (you may register when you are 17, but 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.
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.
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.
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.
Click here to find your Town Clerk's address.
Click here to find the State of Maine Voter Guide.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is the Thursday, before Election Day unless the voter completes a special circumstances application, stating one of three allowable reasons for requesting an absentee ballot after this deadline. The three reasons are:
You may vote in person, using an absentee ballot, at the municipal clerk's office as soon as absentee ballots are available, 30 to 45 days before the election, up to the Thursday before Election Day. You don't need to complete an absentee ballot application if you vote in person at the clerk's office. To obtain your municipal clerk's contact information, click on this web site.
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.
Click here to find your Town Clerk's phone number.
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.
Click here for an online request form.
Click here for the State of Maine Absentee Voter Guide.
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.
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.
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.
To learn the dates and locations of municipal caucuses in your area, visit your party's web site:
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.
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 14 of the 16 counties 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.
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.
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.