Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Maine

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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.

In order to get on the ballot in Maine, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Maine. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

See state election laws

Year-specific filing information

2026

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2026 U.S. Congress elections and Maine elections, 2026

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Maine in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maine, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2026
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Maine	U.S. Senate	Qualified party	2,000	N/A	TBD	Source
Maine	U.S. Senate	Unaffiliated	4,000	N/A	TBD	Source

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Maine in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maine, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Maine	U.S. House	Ballot-qualified party	1000	N/A	TBD	Source
Maine	U.S. House	Unaffiliated	2000	N/A	TBD	Source

Governor

The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in Maine in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maine, click here.

Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2026
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Maine	Governor	Ballot-qualified party	2,000	N/A	TBD	Source
Maine	Governor	Unaffiliated	4,000	N/A	TBD	Source

State House

The table below details filing requirements for Maine House of Representatives candidates in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maine, click here.

Filing requirements for Maine House of Representatives, 2026
State	Chamber name	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Maine	House of Representatives	Ballot-qualified party	25	N/A	TBD	Source
Maine	House of Representatives	Unaffiliated	50	N/A	TBD	Source

State Senate

The table below details filing requirements for Maine State Senate candidates in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maine, click here.

Filing requirements for Maine State Senate, 2026
State	Chamber name	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Maine	State Senate	Ballot-qualified party	100	N/A	TBD	Source
Maine	State Senate	Unaffiliated	200	N/A	TBD	Source

For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2024

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2024 U.S. Congress elections and Maine elections, 2024

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Maine in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maine, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2024
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Maine	U.S. Senate	Qualified party	2,000	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	3/15/2024	Source
Maine	U.S. Senate	Unaffiliated	4,000	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	6/3/2024	Source

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Maine in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maine, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Maine	U.S. House	Ballot-qualified party	1,000	N/A	3/15/2024	Source
Maine	U.S. House	Unaffiliated	2,000	N/A	6/3/2024	Source

For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below. <ShowHideText>

Process to become a candidate

For party candidates

See statutes: Title 21-A, Chapter 5, Subchapter 1, Article 4 of the Maine Revised Statutes

Political party candidates must petition for placement on the primary election ballot. Signature requirements vary according to the office being sought.

Signature requirements for party candidates
Office sought	Required signatures
Governor, United States Senator	At least 2,000 signatures, but no more than 2,500
United States Representative	At least 1,000 signatures, but no more than 1,250
State Senator	At least 100 signatures, but no more than 150
State Representative	At least 25 signatures, but no more than 40

Before petitions can be submitted to the Maine Secretary of State, signatures must be verified by the registrar of voters or municipal clerk in the municipality where the signatures were collected. For more information regarding specific petition requirements, see below.

A political party candidate must also submit a "Consent of Candidate" form. The form must contain a statement signed by the candidate indicating that he or she will accept the nomination of the primary election. The form must also include the candidate's address, party designation, and a statement indicating that the candidate meets the qualifications for the office being sought. The candidate must sign the form before a notary public. The "Consent of Candidate" form must be filed along with the candidate's petition paperwork.

The filing deadline is set by state statutes as 5 p.m. on March 15 in the year of the election. If March 15 falls on a non-business day, the deadline is extended to the next business day.

For independent candidates

See statutes: Title 21-A, Chapter 5, Subchapter 2 of the Maine Revised Statutes

Independent candidates must petition for placement on the general election ballot. Signature requirements vary according to the office being sought.

Signature requirements for independent candidates
Office sought	Required signatures
Governor, United States Senator	At least 4,000 signatures, but no more than 5,000
United States Representative	At least 2,000 signatures, but no more than 2,500
State Senator	At least 200 signatures, but no more than 300
State Representative	At least 50 signatures, but no more than 80

Before petitions can be submitted to the Maine Secretary of State, signatures must be verified by the registrar of voters or municipal clerk in the municipality where the signatures were collected. Petitions for independent candidates must be submitted for verification by 5 p.m. on May 25 (this date is set by state statutes; in the event that May 25 falls on a non-business day, the deadline is extended to the next business day). For more information regarding specific petition requirements, see below.

An independent candidate must also file a "Non-party Candidate's Consent" form. The form must include the candidate's address, a declaration that the candidate has not been enrolled in a qualified political party after March 1 of the election year, and a statement indicating that the candidate meets the qualifications for the office being sought. The candidate must sign the form before a notary public. The "Non-party Candidate's Consent" form must be filed along with the candidate's petition paperwork.

The filing deadline is set by statute as 5 p.m. on June 1 of the election year. If June 1 falls on a non-business day, the deadline is extended to the next business day.

For write-in candidates

See statutes: Title 21-A, Chapter 9, Subchapter 3, Article 1, Section 722-A of the Maine Revised Statutes

In order to have his or her votes tallied, a write-in candidate for either the primary or general election must file a declaration of write-in candidacy with the Maine Secretary of State by 5 p.m. on the 70th day prior to the election.

Petition requirements

See also: Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions

In some cases, political parties and/or candidates may need to obtain signatures via the petition process to gain access to the ballot. This section outlines the laws and regulations pertaining to petitions and circulators in Maine.

Format requirements

All petitions must be submitted on forms designed and provided by the Maine Secretary of State.

Petitions must contain the name of the candidate, his or her address, his or her partisan affiliation (if applicable), and the office being sought.

Signature requirements

Political party candidate petitions can be signed only by enrolled party members who are eligible to vote for the office being sought by the candidate.

Independent candidate petitions may be signed only by voters who are eligible to vote for the office being sought by the candidate. Voters must personally sign their own names. Either the signer or the petition circulator must print the voter's name, address, and municipality of registration.

Circulation requirements

The petition circulator does not have to be a Maine resident. The circulator must verify before a notary public that he or she personally witnessed each signature made to the petition and that to the best of the circulator's knowledge each signature is valid.

Petitions cannot be circulated before January 1 of the election year for which the petition is to be filed.

Objections

Challenges to petitions must be submitted in writing, must note the reasons for the challenge, and must be filed with the Maine Secretary of State by 5 p.m. on the fifth business day after the final date for filing the petition. Within seven days of the final date for filing challenges, the secretary of state will hold a public hearing on any properly filed objection. The burden of proof is on the challenger. The secretary of state will issue a ruling within five days after completion of the hearing. Challenges may only be filed by a registered voter living in the electoral district of the candidate whose petitions are being disputed.

Election administration agencies

Contact information

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

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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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Term limits

State executives

See also: State executives with term limits and States with gubernatorial term limits

Gubernatorial term limits in Maine are established in Article V of the Maine Constitution. Term limits for other state executives were imposed as a result of a ballot measure approved in 1993.

• The governor is limited to two successive terms. There is not, however, a limit on the number of total terms a governor may serve.
• The Maine Secretary of State is limited to four two-year terms.
• The attorney general is limited to four two-year terms.
• The state treasurer is limited to four two-year terms.
• The state auditor is limited to four two-year terms.

State legislators

See also: State legislatures with term limits

A politician can serve in the Maine State Legislature for four terms (eight years) in each of the two chambers, the Maine State Senate and the Maine House of Representatives. This is a consecutive, rather than lifetime, limit.

Term limits were imposed as a result of a 1993 ballot initiative.

Congressional partisanship

See also: List of United States Representatives from Maine and List of United States Senators from Maine

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the congressional delegation from Maine.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Maine
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	2	2
Republican	1	0	1
Independent	1	0	1
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	2	4

State legislative partisanship

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the state legislature of Maine.

Maine State Senate

Party		As of November 2025
	Democratic Party	20
	Republican Party	14
	Other	1
	Vacancies	0
Total		35

Maine House of Representatives

Party		As of November 2025
	Democratic Party	75
	Republican Party	73
	Independent	1
	Unenrolled	1
	Vacancy	1
Total		151

Related legislation

The table below lists bills related to ballot access requirements for candidates that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Maine. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official bill name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Sponsor party
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

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Recent issues

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See also

• Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Maine
• Ballot access requirements for political parties in Maine
• Maine elections, 2024
• Campaign finance requirements in Maine
• Counties in Maine
• List of United States Representatives from Maine
• List of United States Senators from Maine
• Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions
• State executives with term limits
• States with gubernatorial term limits
• State legislatures with term limits

External links

Official state and federal links

• Maine Secretary of State
• Federal Election Commission
• Maine Secretary of State, "Candidates Procedures, Forms and Reporting"
• Maine Secretary of State, "2022 Candidate's Guide"

Other information

• Ballot Access News – News updates and analysis of ballot access issues
• ThirdPartyPolitics.us – Blog about American third party and independent politics
• National Voter Outreach – Political consulting firm that specializes in organizing petition signature drives

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