While the presidential race is driving much of the interest in the Nov. 5 election, it’s far from the only decision Maine voters will be making.

Ballots also will be cast in races for one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats and both of its seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

All 186 seats in the Maine Legislature are up for grabs, and voters will weigh in on three bond questions and two other ballot questions, including whether the official state flag should be changed to look more like the simpler, original version from 1901.

Local communities will elect city and town councilors and school board members, and vote in municipal referendums.

Here are a few things voters should know about the process and this year’s elections.

          • How do I register to vote?
          • Who is on Maine’s presidential ballot?
          • What are the referendum and bond questions?
          • What are some other key races to watch?
          • I’m voting on Election Day. How do I find my polling place?
          • Can I vote early or by mail?
          • Can I check to see if my absentee ballot has been accepted?
          • What is a clean elections candidate?
          • Will ranked choice voting be used, and how does it work?

How do I register to vote?

In order to vote, you must be 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and registered to vote in the community where you reside in Maine. You can register to vote online, by mail, by filling out a voter registration card at your city or town hall, through any motor vehicle branch office, at most state and federal social service agencies and at voter registration drives.

If you’re registering to vote for the first time in Maine, you will need to show proof of identity, such as a driver’s license or passport, and residency. Residency can be documented a number of ways, including with personal documents such as a utility bill, bank statement or paycheck, or with a driver’s license, motor vehicle registration or hunting or fishing license.

Maine has same-day voter registration, so there is no cutoff on registering in person at your town office, city hall or polling place. Online voter registration is available through Oct. 15, and any mailed-in voter registrations must be received by Oct. 15.

More details are available on the website of the Maine Department of the Secretary of State.

 

Who is on Maine’s presidential ballot? 

Maine’s presidential ballot includes Democrats Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Republicans Donald Trump and JD Vance, Libertarians Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat, Green Independents Jill Stein and Rudolph Ware, and Cornel West and Melina Abdullah, who are unenrolled in Maine but are part of the Justice for All party.

Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not be on Maine’s ballot. Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, officially withdrew in August after Kennedy suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump.

What are the referendum and bond questions? 

There are two statewide referendums. Question 1 asks voters if they want to set a limit of $5,000 for contributions to political action committees. The ballot question was brought forward by campaign finance reform activists seeking to limit the influence of outside groups.

Question 5 asks whether voters favor making the former state flag, replaced as the official flag of the state in 1909 and commonly known as the Pine Tree Flag, the official flag of the state.

The bond questions, Questions 2, 3 and 4, ask voters to consider $25 million to support research and development in areas including life sciences, renewable energy and agriculture, $10 million to restore historical buildings owned by government and nonprofit organizations across the state, and $30 million to invest in the development and maintenance of trails statewide.

Read more on each of the referendum and bond questions here:

• Question 1: Capping contributions to certain political action committees
• Question 2: A $25 million research-and-development bond
• Question 3: A $10 million bond for historic buildings
• Question 4: A historic $30 million bond to repair and restore trails
• Question 5: At long last, Mainers could vote for a new state flag

What are some other key races to watch? 

U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, is seeking a third term in the Senate. King is facing challenges from Demi Kouzounas, a Republican and former chair of the Maine Republican Party, Democrat David Costello and independent Jason Cherry, of Unity. King was reelected with 53% of the vote in a three-way race in 2018, and is the favorite in the race, with a late August University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll showing him leading Kouzounas 43% to 33%.

In Maine’s 1st Congressional District, Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, is being challenged by Kennebunkport Republican Ron Russell, a political newcomer and retired U.S. Army veteran, and independent Ethan Alcorn, of Saco. Pingree is seeking a ninth term in office in a district that skews heavily toward Democrats.

The 2nd Congressional District race is the most competitive of the Congressional races in Maine, featuring Rep. Jared Golden, a Lewiston Democrat, and Austin Theriault, a first-term state representative from Fort Kent. Golden is a three-term incumbent but is battling to retain his seat in a district that gave one of Maine’s electoral votes to Donald Trump in each of the last two presidential races. The race has broader implications for the balance of power in the U.S. House as it is being eyed by Republicans as a key seat to flip.

In Portland, voters will cast ballots in three city council and three school board races. There also are city referendums that would amend the list of information required to register short-term rental units and amend the city’s hazard pay policy to take effect only when the city, and not the state, declares a state of emergency.

 

I’m voting on Election Day. How do I find my polling place? 

Every town and city has designated polling locations on Election Day. Voting places open between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., depending on location, and all close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can find their polling place and electoral district by calling their city or town hall or by searching online through the Maine Voter Information Lookup Service.

Can I vote early or by mail? 

Maine law allows all voters to cast absentee ballots before Election Day. You don’t have to be out of town or have any other reason and many voters do it for convenience.

Absentee ballots must be available in all cities and towns by Oct. 7, though some municipalities may make them available earlier if the ballots are ready.

Voters can already begin requesting absentee ballots either online, via a paper application or by contacting their town or city clerk. The ballots can be mailed to voters and can be returned by mail or by dropping them off at municipal offices.

Voters also can vote early in person at municipal offices when ballots become available.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot or vote absentee in person is Oct. 31, though exceptions may be made when special circumstances exist, such as an unexpected hospitalization. All ballots must be returned to a voter’s municipality by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Can I check to see if my absentee ballot has been accepted? 

Yes. Voters can track the status of their absentee ballot request and their ballot online via a service provided by the secretary of state. Upon receipt of an absentee ballot, a municipal clerk will examine the signature of the voter on the envelope and may compare it to the signature on their voter registration file.

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. Clerks will try to contact voters if required information is missing or their signatures don’t match. If a voter’s ballot is rejected, they would be able to cast a different ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

 

What is a clean elections candidate? 

Maine has a voluntary clean elections program that allows candidates running for state office to access public campaign financing if they are able to demonstrate community support by collecting a minimum number of $5 donations and agree not to accept private contributions except for a limited number early on in their campaigns.

Proponents of clean elections say it levels the playing field for candidates, eliminates outside influence on elections and limits the amount of spending on campaigns.

In 2022, Portland voters approved the first municipal clean elections program in Maine, and it is now available to candidates running for city offices.

Will ranked choice voting be used, and how does it work? 

Ranked choice voting will be used in the presidential race, U.S. Senate race and both U.S. House races. It won’t be used in legislative races because of language in the Maine Constitution requiring those elections to be decided by a plurality of voters.

First implemented at the statewide level in 2018, ranked choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference in races featuring three or more candidates. If no candidate secures 50% of votes in the first round, the candidate in last place is eliminated and the votes they received are redistributed based on voters’ second choices. The process repeats until one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote and is declared the winner.

 

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