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.[1]
Registration
- 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."[2]
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.[2] If registering through a qualified state agency, the deadlines is seven days prior to the election.[2]
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[2]
- 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.[3]
- See also: Online voter registration
Maine has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
- See also: Same-day voter registration
Maine allows same-day voter registration.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6] 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.[7][2]
The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states 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.[8]
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.
