Mainers can vote early by absentee ballot at all municipal offices starting Monday through June 4 ahead of the state’s June 9 primary election.
The primaries feature contested races up and down the ballot, including the Democratic U.S. Senate race featuring frontrunner Graham Platner, 2024 nominee David Costello and Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign last month but has not officially left the race yet. Five Democrats and seven Republicans are in deeply unsettled primaries for governor.
There are another 31 contested legislative primaries — 23 in the House and 8 in the Senate. Among the bigger ones are the race for a Down East seat in the upper chamber between House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, and former Rep. Bucket Davis, R-East Machias.
Maine allows no-excuse absentee voting, which doubles as the state’s form of early voting. You can fill out an absentee ballot in person at your municipal office starting Monday through June 4, the Thursday before the election.
If you want to vote absentee by mail, you must request a ballot by June 4. You can do so using the state’s online form or by visiting your municipal office. Completed ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, June 9.
Voter registration deadlines vary by method. Online and mail registration closes May 19. You can register at any Bureau of Motor Vehicles location or other state agency through June 2. You can also register in person at your polling place on Election Day, but you must provide proof of residence, such as an ID or utility bill.
The deadline to change your party affiliation is May 22, but unenrolled voters can vote in the party primary of their choice. That’s a first for gubernatorial races under a law passed by the Democratic-led Legislature in 2022.
