The primary election in Maine is coming up fast.
On Tuesday June 14, 2022, eligible voters across the state will head to the polls to vote in their municipal elections and nominate candidates for their party prior to the general election in the fall.
The primary elections will feature ranked-choice voting, where candidates are ranked in order of preference. To learn more, visit the League of Women Voters’ guide to filling out a ranked choice ballot.
How to cast an absentee ballot:
If you are unable to vote in person or would prefer to vote by mail, no excuse absentee voting is available through Maine’s Online Absentee Ballot Request Service. The service also provides information to overseas citizens and U.S. military personnel about how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. Voters with a disability can also request an accessible ballot through this resource.
The last day to request an absentee ballot or vote early in the presence of the clerk is Thursday June 9, 2022 at 5PM ET. Although you can return your absentee ballot request form through mail, we recommend doing so in person at your local elections office, or online to ensure that your request is received on time.
To be counted, completed absentee ballots must be received by the municipal clerk by 8PM on Election Day. You can return your absentee ballot by mail or hand deliver it to your municipal office.
How to vote in-person on Election Day:
Polling locations across the state will be open until 8PM on Election Day. If you’d prefer to vote in-person on Election Day, you can find your polling location here.
How to register to vote:
If you aren’t currently registered to vote, there’s still time! Mainers can register on or before election day. To register, new voters must show proof of identity and residency at their town office or city hall. A Maine driver's license, a utility bill or government document that states a name and address will be accepted. Voters with a new address can provide those same documents to officials at their new polling location.
Who can vote in Maine’s 2022 primary election?:
All Maine voters can participate in their municipal elections on June 14th whether or not they’re enrolled in a political party, but they must be enrolled in a political party to vote in that party’s primary election. Unenrolled voters who want to vote in a party’s primary election can change their party registration at their polling place to the party whose primary they would like to participate in. When they’re done voting, they can unenroll from that party before leaving the polling place.
Governor Mills signed LD 231 into law last session to allow for semi-open primaries where unenrolled voters can participate in either a Republican or a Democratic primary election without enrolling in a political party, but that law does not take effect until the 2024 election cycle.
For more information on how to vote during Tuesday’s primaries, visit the state website’s Elections & Voting page here.
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