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Election 2020: What you need to know about voting this year
Our answers to your questions about Maine's voting system.
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Your questions answered:
- Where are drop boxes usually located?
- Can political parties or someone else put out a drop box?
- When can I drop my ballot off at a drop box?
- Do I have to do anything special to return my ballot this way?
- Do I need to put postage on the envelope if I drop it in a drop box?
- Can I put my ballot sealed in the envelope in any municipal drop box?
- Can I drop off all my neighbors’ ballots when I drop mine off?
- How long have drop boxes been a thing in Maine?
- Are all municipalities in Maine required to offer ballot drop boxes?
- Where are all these boxes coming from?
- Is anybody actually using these drop boxes to vote?
- How often are the boxes emptied and who does that?
- What if somebody drops their ballot in the box after 8 p.m. on Election Day?
- Who is keeping an eye on these boxes when the office is closed?
- What if someone were to vandalize, tamper with or destroy a drop box or the ballots inside it?
- How many ballots did the state have printed for November?
- What happens if my polling place runs out of ballots?
- Does a photocopied ballot still work in the voting machines?
- What can I do if I make a mistake on my absentee ballot?
- What do I do if I make a mistake when I’m voting at the polls?
- What if I make a mistake on my replacement ballot?
- Do the clerks have to notify me if a mistake on my ballot causes it to be rejected?
- How does ranked-choice voting work?
- How is this different from traditional elections?
- What happens if I only want to vote for one candidate?
- What happens if my candidate receives the fewest number of votes in the first round?
- What happens if I rank my preferred candidate in all of the available preference positions?
- What happens if I rank two candidates in first place?
- What happens if I only rank my first- and second-place candidates?
- Does all this tabulation take place at my local polling station?
- This sounds like it could take some time. Will we know who won on election night?
- I want to vote early. What do I need to do?
- Now that I’m registered to vote, how do I get an absentee ballot?
- How long do I have to do that?
- What are the hours and dates for early voting?
- What can I expect at the polling place?
- Do I have to request an absentee ballot before I go to the polling place?
- Do I need to give a reason for voting absentee?
- I requested and received an absentee ballot in the mail. Do I have to return it by mail?
- What if I want to mail it back?
- What will I need to bring if I want to request an absentee ballot at the polling place?
- If I vote early, does that mean my ballot will be counted early?
- My mailbox is being inundated with political messages. How do these organizations get my address?
- The letter states they know I requested an absentee ballot based on “public records.” Does that mean anybody can find out if I requested an absentee ballot?
- So what records are publicly available?
- How much does the state charge for my “confidential” data and who can buy it?
- What data can be included in what’s sold?
- Can I get any of this data as a voter and how much does that cost?
- Is there anyway I can opt out of having the information on my voter records sold?
- What about those stamps the Democrats sent in their mailing? I thought it was illegal to give something of value to encourage a person to vote.
- How will I be able to vote if I live in a long-term care facility?
- If I can’t physically hold a pen to mark a ballot, how do I vote?
- What if I have a visual impairment and can’t read my ballot?
- Can I still vote in Maine if I’ve been placed in legal guardianship?
- I have some mobility issues but would still like to vote in person. Can I do that?
- Where can I get more information on voting access for people with disabilities?
- I requested an absentee ballot but I’ve changed my mind and want to vote in person. What do I do?
- When will my ballot be counted?
- Are they actually counting my vote when they process my absentee ballot?
- So how does that all work?
- What if I forget to sign the back of the return envelope for my absentee ballot?
- What happens when the envelope with my ballot is opened?
- Are the results from absentee ballots tallied as they are processed?
- How would I know if the clerk got my absentee ballot in the first place?
- How do I register?
- What documents do I need to register?
- Is my voter registration permanent?
- Is my voter registration private?
- What if I’m a college student?
- When can voters be removed from a voter list?
- What should I do if I haven’t voted in awhile?
- Where have voter purges taken place recently?
- But what about Maine?
- What does it mean if my voter registration is designated “inactive?”
- What if I don’t respond?
- How many inactive voters are there in Maine?
- How else are inactive lists used?
- What happens if I go to vote and officials tell me I’m not registered?
- What if I don’t remember to bring any of that to the polling station?
- How does Maine’s purge rate stack up?
Recent Coverage
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November 7, 2020As Maine has some of its highest daily numbers for COVID-19, local election officials are taking precautions to prevent its spread on Election Day.
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November 7, 2020State and federal laws regulate what's allowed inside and outside polling places in Maine. From firearms to clothing with political messages, here's what you can expect if you want to vote in person on Election Day.
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November 7, 2020Clerks can remove ballots from envelopes and run them through optical scanning machines, but the votes can't be tallied until the polls close next Tuesday.
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November 7, 2020Concerns that polling places wouldn't have enough help on Nov. 3 have been eased by a wave of new volunteers and an increase in absentee voting. Here's what you need to know about polling workers in Maine.
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October 21, 2020Maine law requires local election officials to match the signature on your absentee ballot application to your absentee ballot.
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October 21, 2020Dozens of Maine cities and towns have installed secure absentee ballot drop boxes to help voting go smoothly.
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October 21, 2020Polling places can get permission to photocopy ballots if supplies run low, but that will slow the count because copies can't be fed into tabulating machines.
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November 7, 2020Here's what you need to know about ranked-choice voting, which only Maine will use in the presidential election.
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October 21, 2020Here's what you need to know if you want to vote early by absentee ballot and avoid polling places during the coronavirus pandemic.
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November 7, 2020Some mailings about absentee balloting, including a recent one from the Maine Democratic Party, raise questions about access to voting records.
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November 7, 2020Efforts to improve voting access for Mainers with disabilities range from a new online system to a new guide for families and caretakers of residents living in long-term care.
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September 30, 2020Many are asking what they should do if they change their minds about whether to vote absentee or vote in person.
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September 29, 2020With a record number of voters requesting absentee ballots, some want to know when those votes actually get counted.
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September 24, 2020Maine's system for removing voters from official lists has been criticized in the past, but state officials say they no longer follow those procedures.
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September 28, 2020Here's what you need to know to ensure that you are able to vote in the November election.