Voting in Maine

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Election Information
2026 election and voting dates
Voter registration
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## Contents

* 1 Voter registration
* 1.1 Eligibility and registration details
* 2 In-person voting
* 2.1 Poll times
* 2.2 Voter identification
* 2.3 Early voting
* 3 Absentee/mail-in voting
* 4 Local election officials
* 5 Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
* 6 Election administration agencies
* 6.1 Contact information
* 7 Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia
* 8 Ballotpedia's election coverage
* 9 See also
* 9.1 Elections in Maine
* 10 External links
* 11 Footnotes

The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Maine:

* Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
* In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
* Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
* Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
* Contact information for election agencies.

Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.

For information on elections happening this year, click here.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

## Voter registration[edit]

### Eligibility and registration details[edit]

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Maine, one must be "a United States citizen, at least 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, and have established a fixed principal home in Maine. To vote in a Referendum or General Election, you must be registered in the community where you reside, and be at least 18 years of age. A 17 year old may vote in a Primary Election, if that person will be 18 by the General Election."[1]

Voters can return completed registration cards in person or by mail to their town office or city hall, to any Motor Vehicle branch office, to most state & federal social service agencies, or at a voter registration drive. There is no deadline for voter registration if completed in person. If registering by mail or online, the deadline is 21 days prior to the election.[1] If registering through a qualified state agency, the deadlines is seven days prior to the election.[1]

When registering for the first time in Maine, voters must provide documents verifying their identity and residence. The following documents are acceptable identification for the purpose of registering to vote:

* Government ID with a photo (i.e. driver’s license, State ID, valid U.S. Passport, military ID, ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe)
* Government ID without photo (i.e. certified birth certificate or signed Social Security card)
* Other official document showing the name and address of voter (i.e. eligibility for public benefits, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck)
* Student photo ID from a state-approved public or private school or institute of higher education in Maine
* Maine driver’s license number or last four digits of Social Security Number[1]

## In-person voting[edit]

### Poll times[edit]

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Maine, municipalities with a population of 500 or more open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., while municipalities with a population of less than 500 open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. All polls close at 8:00 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]

### Voter identification[edit]

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Maine does not require voters to present identification while voting. If a voter registers to vote on Election Day, they must provide identification and proof of residence.[3][1]

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.[4]

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote.

### Early voting[edit]

See also: Early voting

Maine permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website. In most instances, Maine refers to early voting as in-person absentee voting. In-person absentee voting is available at clerk's offices no later than the 30th day before an election and ends the Thursday before the election.[5]

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

## Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Maine. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[5]

Voters may submit an application for a mailed absentee ballot beginning three months before a general election and two months before a primary. An application must be received by the third business day before the election. An absentee ballot received by mail must then be returned to election officials by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.[5]

## Local election officials[edit]

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.|

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## Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In Maine, people convicted of a felony who are incarcerated retain their right to vote. These individuals may register to vote while in the municipality they established residency in prior to their incarceration.[6]

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[7]

## Election administration agencies[edit]

### Contact information[edit]

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Maine can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Maine Municipal Clerks and Registrars

Click here for a list

Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions

101 State House Station

Augusta, Maine 04333-0101

Phone: 207-624-7736

Fax: 207-287-5428

Email: cec.elections@maine.gov
Website: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/index.html

Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices

Physical Address: 45 Memorial Circle, 2nd Floor

Augusta, Maine 04330

Mailing Address: 135 State House Station

Augusta, Maine 04333

Phone: 207-287-4179

Fax: 207-287-6775

Email: ethics@maine.gov
Website: https://www.maine.gov/ethics/

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 301-563-3919
Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
Website: https://www.eac.gov

## Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia[edit]

* Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.

Our election policy experts translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries. And because it's from Ballotpedia, our legislation tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.

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* Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation Reports

Ballotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.

These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.

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The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.

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## Ballotpedia's election coverage[edit]

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## See also[edit]

* State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
* Voter ID in Maine
* Election administration in Maine
* Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Maine

### Elections in Maine[edit]

* Maine elections, 2025
* Maine elections, 2024
* Maine elections, 2023
* Maine elections, 2022
* Maine elections, 2021
* Maine elections, 2020
* Maine elections, 2019
* Maine elections, 2018
* Maine elections, 2017
* Maine elections, 2016
* Maine elections, 2015
* Maine elections, 2014

## External links[edit]

* Official state election website
* U.S. Vote Foundation election official lookup tool

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Maine Department of the Secretary of State, "State of Maine Voter Guide," accessed October 2, 2025 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name "meguide" defined multiple times with different content
2. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A § 626," accessed October 2, 2025
3. ↑ Maine Secretary of State, "Your Right to Vote in Maine," accessed October 6, 2025
4. ↑ Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Maine Department of the Secretary of State, "Absentee Guide," accessed October 2, 2025
6. ↑ Maine Department of the Secretary of State, "Voter information," accessed October 2, 2025
7. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023

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