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Democratic Party primaries in Maine, 2018

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Democratic Party primaries, 2018
Maine Democratic Party.jpg
Primary Date
June 12, 2018
Federal elections
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate
Democratic primaries for U.S. House
State elections
Democratic primaries for Maine legislature
Democratic primary for governor
State party
Democratic Party of Maine
State political party revenue

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[1][2]

Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018.[3] Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.[4][5][6]

Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.[7]

This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Maine on June 12, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.

Battleground primaries

Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.

Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Maine (June 12, 2018 Democratic primary)
Although incumbent Sen. Angus King (I) was urged to affiliate with the Democratic Party, a Democratic National Committee resolution calling on him to do so was defeated on October 20, 2017.[8] With no Democratic candidate reporting contributions through the third quarter of 2017, this primary was not expected to be competitive. To see a full list of candidates in the Democratic primary, click "Show more" below.
Show more
Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Maine (June 12, 2018 Democratic primaries)
The 2018 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Maine took place on November 6, 2018. Voters elected 2 candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's 2 congressional districts. In 2017, the DCCC identified Maine's 2nd Congressional District as a targeted race. To see a full list of candidates in the Democratic primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

District 1

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

District 2

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

State elections

Maine Party Control: 1992-2025
Fifteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R I I I I I I I I D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate D D D R R D D D D S S D D D D D D D D R R D D R R R R D D D D D D D
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D

Gubernatorial election

See also: Maine gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 12 Democratic primary)
See also: Maine gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 12 Democratic primary)

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

State legislative elections

Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Maine state legislative Democratic primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Democratic caucus or had an impact on general election races.

To determine the Maine state legislative Democratic primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

  1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
  2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
  3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.


State party overview

See also: Democratic Party of Maine
Maine Democratic Party.jpg


State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Maine's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.

Democratic Party of Maine revenue, 2011 to 2016[9][10]
Year Federal account State account(s) Total
2011 $411,392.81 $263,711.99 $675,104.80
2012 $990,070.40 $2,649,252.92 $3,639,323.32
2013 $398,222.88 $508,092.34 $906,315.22
2014 $1,135,549.53 $3,430,866.24 $4,566,415.77
2015 $364,078.36 $426,344.01 $790,422.37
2016 $5,265,691.52 $2,799,693.14 $8,065,384.66

Maine compared to other states

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

Primary election scheduling

Maine was one of five states to hold a primary election on June 12, 2018.

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Maine utilizes a semi-closed primary process, in which both registered party members and unaffiliated voters may participate. Unaffiliated voters may vote in one partisan primary of their choosing in each election. Affiliated voters must change enrollment at least 15 days prior to the primary to vote in a different party's primary.[11][12][13]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll 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.[14]

Registration requirements

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."[15]

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.[15] If registering through a qualified state agency, the deadlines is seven days prior to the election.[15]

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[15]

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Maine automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Eligible voters may opt out of registration.[16]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Maine has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Maine allows same-day voter registration.[17]

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Maine, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Maine does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote.[18]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[19] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Maine voter information lookup service allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

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.[20][15]

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals 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.[21]

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

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.[22]

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 voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Maine. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[22]

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.[22]


See also

Federal primaries in Maine State primaries in Maine Maine state party apparatus Maine voter information
CongressLogo.png
Flag of Maine.png
Seal of Maine.png
Election Policy Logo.png

Footnotes

  1. ↑ CNN, "Why a 'federal jobs guarantee' is gaining steam with Democrats," April 26, 2018
  2. ↑ The Atlantic, "What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means," July 11, 2018
  3. ↑ CNBC, "Despite Ocasio-Cortez upset, Democratic primaries have not gone as far left as some argue," June 28, 2018
  4. ↑ New York Times, "There Is a Revolution on the Left. Democrats Are Bracing." July 21, 2018
  5. ↑ New York Times, "Democrats Are Moving Left. Don’t Panic," July 23, 2018
  6. ↑ Time, "How Democrats in Congress Responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Surprise Win," June 28, 2018
  7. ↑ CNN, "9 Democratic primaries to watch in 2018," October 26, 2017
  8. ↑ The Hill, "DNC votes down resolution demanding Sanders, King join Dem Party," October 20, 2017
  9. ↑ Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics & Election Practices, "Maine Ethics Commission Public Disclosure Site," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Maine Republican Party and Maine Democratic State Committee)
  10. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Maine Republican Party and Maine Democratic State Committee)
  11. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21–A, § 341," accessed October 2, 2025
  12. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21–A, § 142," accessed October 2, 2025
  13. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21–A, § 144," accessed October 2, 2025
  14. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A § 626," accessed October 2, 2025
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 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
  16. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21–A, § 232," accessed October 2, 2025
  17. ↑ Maine Revised Statutes, "Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21–A, § 121–A," accessed October 2, 2025
  18. ↑ Maine Department of the Secretary of State, "Maine Voter Registration Application," accessed October 2, 2025
  19. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  20. ↑ Maine Secretary of State, "Your Right to Vote in Maine," accessed October 6, 2025
  21. ↑ Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Maine Department of the Secretary of State, "Absentee Guide," accessed October 2, 2025
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Party primaries by state, 2018
Republican primaries, 2018
Democratic primaries, 2018
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