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Presidential election in Maine, 2020

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Maine
2020 presidential election

Democratic primary: March 3, 2020
Democratic winner: Joe Biden

Republican primary: March 3, 2020
Republican winner: Donald Trump

Electoral College: Four votes
2020 winner:
Joe Biden (D) (statewide, ME-01)
Donald Trump (R) (ME-02)
2016 winner: Hillary Clinton (D)
2012 winner: Barack Obama (D)

Presidential election by state, 2020

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) was the statewide winner of the presidential election in Maine on November 3, 2020. He also won Maine's 1st Congressional District. President Donald Trump (R) won Maine's 2nd Congressional District. Biden won the presidential election with 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232 electoral votes.

The Democratic and Republican parties held primaries in Maine on March 3, 2020. Biden won the Democratic primary. Trump ran uncontested in the Republican primary.[1]

The Maine State Legislature passed a bill in August 2019 to allow ranked-choice voting to be used in the 2020 presidential election.[2]

The Maine Republican Party filed a veto referendum on ranked-choice voting in February 2020. Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap (D) said in June 2020 that the campaign's petition did not meet the signature requirement. On August 24, 2020, Superior Court Judge Thomas McKeon ruled that Dunlap had to count 988 of the signatures his office had deemed invalid, which would have qualified the veto referendum to appear on the ballot in November and precluding ranked-choice voting from being used in this election.[3][4]

The Maine Supreme Court stayed an appeal regarding the veto referendum on September 8, 2020, effectively putting its inclusion on the ballot on hold. As a result, Dunlap said he would proceed with printing ballots that included ranked-choice voting for the presidential race.[5]

In the 2016 election, Maine split its electoral votes; of four electoral votes, two "electoral votes go to the statewide winner and one electoral vote goes to the winner in each of the two congressional districts." Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate, received three votes, while the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, won one vote.[6]

Maine was won by the Democratic candidate in each of the last seven presidential elections. The last Republican candidate to win the state was George H.W. Bush (R) in 1988.[7]

This page includes the following sections:

Candidates and election results

General election

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) was the statewide winner of the presidential election in Maine on November 3, 2020. He also won Maine's 1st Congressional District for a total of three electoral votes. President Donald Trump (R) won Maine's 2nd Congressional District and one electoral vote.

Presidential election results in Maine, 2020

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Joe Biden in round 1 .

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 819,461
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.



Primary election

Maine Democratic presidential primary on March 3, 2020
 
Candidate
%
Votes
Pledged delegates
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Official_portrait_of_Vice_President_Joe_Biden.jpg
Joe Biden
 
33.4
 
68,729 11
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Bernie_Sanders.jpg
Bernie Sanders
 
32.4
 
66,826 9
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Elizabeth_Warren--Official_113th_Congressional_Portrait--.jpg
Elizabeth Warren
 
15.6
 
32,055 4
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/400px-Mike_Bloomberg_Headshot.jpg
Michael Bloomberg
 
11.8
 
24,294 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/150px-Pete_buttigieg.jpg
Pete Buttigieg
 
2.1
 
4,364 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Amy_Klobuchar.jpg
Amy Klobuchar
 
1.4
 
2,826 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/TulsiGabbardReplace.jpg
Tulsi Gabbard
 
0.9
 
1,815 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Screen_Shot_2019-02-21_at_3.25.16_PM.png
Andrew Yang
 
0.3
 
696 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Tom_Steyer.jpg
Thomas Steyer
 
0.2
 
313 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Deval_Patrick.jpg
Deval Patrick
 
0.1
 
218 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/3HaJVw3AYyXBdF9iSRPp977CBFrGCMDhc1w2rHKAC1yEKppTQoGMxtNCjAfntRbE3vPfKMrXcV5x6tsZ7rfuCzeUq2zG7qQsmao4URt.jpeg
Marianne Williamson
 
0.1
 
201 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/CoryBooker.jpg
Cory Booker
 
0.1
 
183 0
  Other
 
1.7
 
3,417 0

 Source

Total votes: 205,937 • Total pledged delegates: 24


Maine Republican presidential primary on March 3, 2020
 
Candidate
%
Votes
Pledged delegates
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/473px-Official_Portrait_of_President_Donald_Trump.jpg
Donald Trump
 
83.8
 
95,360 22
  Other
 
16.2
 
18,368 0

 Source

Total votes: 113,728 • Total pledged delegates: 22


Government response to coronavirus pandemic in Maine

Summary of changes to election dates and procedures

Maine modified its voter registration procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Voter registration: The voter pre-registration deadline in the general election was extended to October 19, 2020.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Frequently asked questions

See also: Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk: Presidential election

The 2020 election took place against a backdrop of uncertainty. Our readers had questions about what to expect in elections at all levels of government, from the casting of ballots to the certification of final results. Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk was designed to answer those questions. Ballotpedia is in the process of compiling and answering frequently asked questions related to the 2020 elections. Questions related to this election will be available soon.


Additional resources

Democratic primary

See also: Democratic presidential nomination, 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Maine held its Democratic primary on March 3, 2020.
  • Maine had an estimated 32 delegates comprised of 24 pledged delegates and eight superdelegates. Delegate allocation was proportional.
  • The Democratic primary was closed, meaning only registered Democrats were able to vote in the election.


    • Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) was formally nominated as the Democratic presidential nominee at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on August 18, 2020.[8] The convention was originally scheduled to take place July 13-16, 2020.[9] Organizers postponed the event in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. In 2020, a Democratic presidential candidate needed support from 1,991 delegates to secure the nomination.

    With the plurality of pledged delegates, Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee on April 8, 2020, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended his presidential campaign.[10] Biden crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination on June 5, 2020.[11]

    Biden announced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020. Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.[12]

    Republican primary

    See also: Republican presidential nomination, 2020
    HIGHLIGHTS
  • Maine held its Republican primary on an March 3, 2020.
  • Maine had an estimated 22 delegates. Delegate allocation was proportional.
  • The Republican primary was closed, meaning only registered Republicans were able to vote in the election.


    • The Republican Party selected President Donald Trump as its presidential nominee at the 2020 Republican National Convention, which was held from August 24-27, 2020.[13]

    Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. Trump crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination—1,276 delegates—on March 17, 2020.

    George H.W. Bush (R) was the last incumbent to face a serious primary challenge, defeating political commentator Pat Buchanan in 1992. He was also the last president to lose his re-election campaign. Franklin Pierce (D) was the first and only elected president to lose his party's nomination in 1856.[14]

    Sixteen U.S. presidents—approximately one-third—have won two consecutive elections.

    For an overview of the 2016 presidential election in Maine, click here.



    Candidate filing requirements

    See also: Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Maine

    The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Maine in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maine, click here.

    Presidential primary candidates

    Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Maine, 2020
    State Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Maine Qualified political parties 2,000 Fixed N/A N/A 12/23/2019 Source

    Independent presidential candidates

    Filing requirements for independent candidates in Maine, 2020
    State Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Maine 4,000 Fixed by statute N/A N/A 7/25/2020 Source

    Historical election results

    2016

    General election

    U.S. presidential election, Maine, 2016
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngHillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 47.8% 357,735 3
         Republican Donald Trump/Mike Pence 44.9% 335,593 1
         Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 5.1% 38,105 0
         Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 1.9% 14,251 0
         - Other/Write-in 0.3% 2,243 0
    Total Votes 747,927 4
    Election results via: Federal Election Commission

    Primary election

    Maine Democratic Caucus, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngBernie Sanders 64.3% 2,231 17
    Hillary Clinton 35.9% 1,232 8
    Other 0.2% 7 0
    Totals 3,470 25
    Source: CNN and The New York Times

    Vote totals represent state delegates won.


    Maine Republican Caucus, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngTed Cruz 45.9% 8,550 12
    Donald Trump 32.6% 6,070 9
    John Kasich 12.2% 2,270 2
    Marco Rubio 8% 1,492 0
    Ben Carson 0.7% 132 0
    Rand Paul 0.3% 55 0
    Other 0.3% 58 0
    Totals 18,627 23
    Source: The New York Times

    2012

    U.S. presidential election, Maine, 2012
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBarack Obama/Joe Biden Incumbent 55.4% 401,306 4
         Republican Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan 40.3% 292,276 0
         Libertarian Gary Johnson/Jim Gray 1.3% 9,352 0
         Green Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala 1.1% 8,119 0
         Write-in Write-in candidates 0.3% 2,127 0
         N/A Blank 1.6% 11,578 0
    Total Votes 724,758 4
    Election results via: Maine Secretary of State

    2008

    U.S. presidential election, Maine, 2008
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBarack Obama/Joe Biden 57.7% 421,923 4
         Republican John McCain/Sarah Palin 40.4% 295,273 0
         Independent Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez 1.5% 10,636 0
         Green Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente 0.4% 2,900 0
         Other Other candidates 0.1% 431 0
    Total Votes 731,163 4
    Election results via: Maine Secretary of State

    Presidential statewide margins of victory of 5 percentage points or fewer, 1948-2016

    See also: Presidential statewide margins of victory of 5 percentage points or fewer, 1948-2016

    The following map shows the number of times, in presidential elections held between 1948 and 2016, that the margin of victory was 5 percentage points or fewer in each state.

    • Wisconsin was the state with the most frequently narrow margins during this time period, appearing on the list in 10 presidential elections.
    • Five states appeared eight times: Florida, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
    • The state with the narrowest margin of victory was Florida in 2000 at 537 votes or one-hundredth of a percentage point.

    Historical election trends

    See also: Presidential voting history by state

    Maine presidential election results (1900-2024)

    • 12 Democratic wins
    • 20 Republican wins
    Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
    Winning Party R R R D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D R R R R R D D D D D D D D D


    See also: Presidential election accuracy

    Below is an analysis of Maine's voting record in presidential elections. The state's accuracy is based on the number of times a state has voted for a winning presidential candidate. The majority of statistical data is from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled, here, by Ballotpedia, unless otherwise noted.

    Presidential election voting record in Maine, 1900-2016

    Between 1900 and 2016:

    • Maine participated in 30 presidential elections.
    • Maine voted for the winning presidential candidate 60[15] percent of the time. The average accuracy of voting for winning presidential candidates for all 50 states in this time frame was 72.31 percent.[16]
    • Maine voted Democratic 33.33 percent of the time and Republican 66.67 percent of the time.

    Presidential election voting record in Maine, 2000-2016

    *An asterisk indicates that that candidate also won the national electoral vote in that election.

    State profile

    See also: Maine and Maine elections, 2019
    USA Maine location map.svg

    Partisan data

    The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019

    Presidential voting pattern

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    State legislature

    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

    Maine quick stats
    More Maine coverage on Ballotpedia:


    Demographic data for Maine
     MaineU.S.
    Total population:1,329,453316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):30,8433,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:95%73.6%
    Black/African American:1.1%12.6%
    Asian:1.1%5.1%
    Native American:0.6%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
    Two or more:2%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:1.5%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:91.6%86.7%
    College graduation rate:29%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$49,331$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:16.6%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Maine.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


    Presidential election by state

    See also: Presidential election by state, 2020

    Click on a state below to navigate to information about the presidential election in that jurisdiction.

    https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_election_in_STATE,_2020

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ USA Today, "Maine Republican Primary Results," accessed March 3, 2020
    2. ↑ Associated Press, "Maine to allow ranked votes in general presidential election," September 6, 2019
    3. ↑ Bangor Daily News, "Maine court puts GOP ranked-choice voting challenge back on November ballot," August 24, 2020
    4. ↑ Associated Press, "Maine to allow ranked votes in general presidential election," September 6, 2019
    5. ↑ Associated Press, "Maine to proceed with ranked ballots for presidential race," September 8, 2020
    6. ↑ CNN, "Maine Results, 2016 Election," accessed November 10, 2016
    7. ↑ 270 to Win, "Maine," accessed June 17, 2019
    8. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "2020 DNC in Milwaukee pushed back to week of August 17 in response to coronavirus pandemic," April 2, 2020
    9. ↑ The New York Times, "Milwaukee Picked as Site of 2020 Democratic National Convention," March 11, 2019
    10. ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Bernie Sanders Ends 2020 Bid, Making Biden Presumptive Dem Nominee," April 8, 2020
    11. ↑ AP, "Biden formally clinches Democratic presidential nomination," June 5, 2020
    12. ↑ CNBC, "Joe Biden picks Sen. Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate, making her the first black woman on a major ticket," August 11, 2020
    13. ↑ Charlotte Observer, "Here’s when the 2020 Republican National Convention will be in Charlotte," October 1, 2018
    14. ↑ NPR, "When Has A President Been Denied His Party's Nomination?" July 22, 2009
    15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 While Maine split its electoral vote in 2016, this number is based on Maine not having supported the winning Republican candidate, who only received one electoral vote.
    16. ↑ This average includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which did not participate in all 30 presidential elections between 1900 and 2016. It does not include Washington, D.C., which cast votes for president for the first time in 1964, or Alaska and Hawaii, which cast votes for president for the first time in 1960.
    17. ↑ This number refers to the number of times that the state voted for the winning presidential candidate between 2000 and 2016.
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