FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 18, 2022

General Election Day 2022 – Three weeks away

AUGUSTA — With three weeks until the General Election, November 8, 2022, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Deputy Secretary of State for Corporations, Elections and Commissions Julie Flynn want to provide an update to the public about Maine’s election processes for this stage of an election cycle. Further in-depth explainers will be provided for Election Day and post-election procedures.

“Maine has accessible, secure and accurate elections because of the immense attention to detail provided by our elections officials up and down the state,” said Secretary Bellows. “Whatever issue or candidate motivates them to cast their ballot, Mainers can be assured that their vote matters and their voice will be heard.”

“Our staff and the municipal clerks have been busy checking and double checking ballots, tabulators, and everything else ahead of the start of voting,” said Deputy Secretary Flynn. “We’re well-positioned for another season of absentee voting as we head towards Election Day.”

Voter registration

To register to vote in Maine, voters must be Maine residents, U.S. citizens, and at least 16 years old, though only Mainers who are 18 years old on or before November 8, 2022 may vote in the General Election. When registering for the first time, voters must provide proof of residency and identity. Current or former incarceration status does not disqualify any Mainer from registering to vote or casting their ballot. Incarcerated persons at a correctional facility or county jail may register to vote in the Maine municipality where they established residency prior to incarceration.

Maine has same day voter registration, meaning that Mainers may register to vote and cast their ballot on the same day, even Election Day. Registrations done by mail need to be received by the municipal clerk of the voter by Tuesday, October 18. After that date, registrations must be done in person at the voter’s municipality.

Absentee voting

Last week, in-person absentee voting began in towns and cities around the state. Town and city clerks began mailing absentee ballots as early as two weeks ago, as ballot printing and delivery was ahead of schedule for some municipalities. State law requires that absentee ballots be available at least 30 days before an election, and all municipalities received their ballots before or by that deadline.

Maine’s no-excuse absentee voting law means that any Maine voter may choose to vote absentee, whether in person at their town or city hall, or at home. No-excuse absentee voting continues through the Thursday before an election; this year that is Thursday, November 3. Hours for in person absentee voting at a town or city hall are set by each municipality. Many offer extended hours, particularly in the last days of no excuse absentee voting, but state law does not require this. After November 3, when certain special circumstances exist, for example, an unexpected hospitalization, a voter may still vote absentee.

Absentee ballots, including accessible ballots and ballots for uniformed and overseas voters, may be requested via the state’s online portal. Voters may also call their town or city hall to request a ballot, go in person to their town or city hall, or submit a paper application for an absentee ballot. Some third-party groups and campaigns send out the paper application to voters, and this is legal. Voters, however, need only submit one application for an absentee ballot, duplicates will be noted but not fulfilled.

In many towns and cities, voters will have the option of returning an absentee ballot to a secured drop box. This year, 45 more municipalities have added this convenience for their voters. A complete list is available at https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/index.html. Under new state law from 2021, absentee ballot drop boxes must be monitored periodically, secured to the ground or building, and the interior only accessible by the town or city clerk and their staff. Ballots must be retrieved periodically and in teams of two.

The Elections Division will post up-to-date absentee voter data after 3 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays through most of October, and daily starting October 31st at https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/data/index.html.

Upon receipt of an absentee ballot, a municipal clerk will examine the signature of the voter on the absentee ballot envelope and on any affidavit and witness certification on the envelope and may compare it to the signature on their voter registration file. If the ballot requires curing – the required information is not present or the signatures do not match – the clerk shall contact the voter within a day, or on the day before or the day of the election, make a good faith effort to contact the voter. The outcome of the clerk’s inspection of the envelope is noted in the tracker, and a voter can see if their ballot has been accepted or rejected. If a voter’s ballot is rejected, they would be able to cast a different ballot by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters with print disabilities

For voters with print disabilities, an accessible ballot is available to request at https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/ballot_begin.pl. Voters must self-certify that they are blind or otherwise disabled, and that their disability prevents or substantially limits them from being able to privately and independently complete a paper absentee ballot. This option is available to ensure that all voters are able to cast their vote while maintaining their right to a secret ballot.

For in-person voting, voters with print disabilities (or anyone who chooses to use it) each polling place has an accessible voting system available for use.

Uniformed and overseas voters

Uniformed and overseas voters (UOCAVA voters) began receiving ballots 45 days prior to Election Day, in accordance with federal law. These voters include spouses and dependents away from their Maine voting residence by reason of active duty or service of the member, and U.S. citizens currently living outside the U.S. and whose residence before leaving the U.S. was in Maine. The longer period for UOCAVA voters to receive their ballots is to ensure that they are able to cast their ballot as other Mainers can, regardless of how accessible where they are living is.

Absentee ballot processing

Absentee ballots may be processed up to seven days before Election Day, with notice. A list of municipalities which may process ballots early is available at https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/index.html. Absentee ballot processing is a public process which may be observed by partisan and nonpartisan observers. Early processing may happen between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9 p.m., except when an inspection is requested. At such times, processing may not begin until the inspection period has concluded. Requests for inspection of absentee ballot applications and envelopes must be submitted in writing by 9:00 a.m. on each day of early processing.

During absentee ballot processing, teams of two work in stages. First, the absentee voter list is marked, then the ballots and envelopes separated, and only when a sufficient quantity of ballots has amassed, are the ballots unfolded and placed into the tabulator or ballot box. Ballots and envelopes are kept secure after each day of early processing. Absentee ballots are not counted until after 8 p.m. on Election Day, just as all other ballots.

Many municipalities will conduct absentee ballot processing on Election Day itself, under the same procedures.

Poll workers

Poll workers are needed at all stages of the election process. Mainers who are registered to vote, even if 16 or 17 years old and not able to yet cast a ballot, may serve as poll workers in municipalities in their county of residence. Poll workers may be paid, as determined by each municipality.

Poll workers must be in equal numbers from the Democratic and Republican parties, or off by one at most, and poll workers from these parties must make up at least half of the total number of poll workers. The remaining poll workers may be enrolled in other parties, or unenrolled. If there are not enough poll workers from the major parties, the clerk may select additional poll workers from the minor parties or unenrolleds. Mainers who are a candidate or a member of a candidate’s immediate family may not serve as poll workers.

Training for poll workers will be provided by municipal clerks and their staff, and tasks will vary as needed. Mainers interested in serving as poll workers should contact their municipal office. More information is available at https://www.maineelectionworkers.org/.