Thursday is the last day for Mainers to request an absentee ballot and cast early votes at municipal offices across the state ahead of Tuesday’s presidential election.
In Maine, the absentee ballot system doubles as the way to cast ballots in the presence of local clerks ahead of Election Day. More than 270,000 people have already cast their ballots this way, which is roughly a third of the voters who decided the 2020 election here.
Here’s what you need to know about navigating the early voting deadlines.
Getting your absentee ballot and sending it back
Maine elections are administered by city and town clerks, who independently count votes before sending them to be certified by the secretary of state’s office. Voter fraud is extremely rare, here and nationally. In recent Maine elections, it has only been charged under isolated circumstances.
You have until the close of business on Thursday to request an absentee ballot under state law. Those requests can be made through the state’s online portal or by filling out an application and returning it to your municipal office.
Those ballots must be returned to your local clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. There are exceptions for those with special circumstances, including unexpected absences, disability or inability to travel to the polls for island residents.
At this late date, you should not mail it back to your municipal office but instead drop it off with your clerk or in an approved drop box under recommendations from Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ office. You can track the status of your absentee ballot to see if the clerk has received it by using this state tool.
Casting last-minute in-person ballots
Thursday is also the last day that Mainers can vote early in the presence of clerks. These locations are typically municipal offices, but they could be different depending on your town. Check your town’s website or call your local clerk with any questions on that.
