Title 21-A, Title 21-A

1. Voting places in unorganized townships. The procedure for establishing a voting place in unorganized townships is as follows. A. The commissioners of each county may provide or contract with a municipality to provide a voting place in any unorganized township in their county, …

Except for the added expenses incurred by a municipality under section 632, each municipality shall pay for the expense it incurs in calling, holding and reporting the results of an election. The State shall pay for other election expenses incurred as a result of the performance …

The following procedure shall be observed on election day. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Election materials sent to voting place. Before the polls are opened, the clerk shall deliver or have delivered the election materials marked for each voting place to the warden at that vot…

The certified copies of the incoming voting list provided by the registrar and official ballot boxes must be used exclusively at each voting place. If it becomes impossible to use the official ballot box, the warden shall direct the method by which voting is to proceed. The warde…

The registrar shall hold office hours as long as the polls are open on any election day for the following purposes. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Error in incoming voting list. The registrar shall correct any error in the incoming voting list or central voter registration syste…

A warden has the following powers and duties. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Enforcement of election law. The warden shall enforce the law governing voting and counting procedures at the voting place over which the warden has jurisdiction on election day. 2. Order at voting plac…

The Secretary of State may act administratively to facilitate voting by civilian registered voters of this State who live in an area within the United States that is affected by a natural disaster or other occurrence for which the governor of that state has declared a state of em…

The voting procedure is as follows. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Name announced. A voter who wishes to vote must state the voter's name and residence address to an election clerk, who shall announce the name in a loud, clear voice. If the voter's stated residence address is di…

A voter who is unable to read or mark the ballot because of physical disability, illiteracy or religious faith may request another person, other than the voter's employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter's union, to assist the voter in reading the ballot…

A voter of a municipality or an election official may challenge the right of another to vote at an election in that municipality. [PL 2007, c. 455, §31 (AMD).] 1. How made. The challenge must be made to the warden. The challenger must state in the form of a signed affidavit setti…

1. Class E crime. A person commits a Class E crime if that person: A. Knowingly removes a ballot from a voting place on election day except as authorized by this Title; [PL 1993, c. 473, §18 (RPR); PL 1993, c. 473, §46 (AFF).] B. Interferes with a voter attempting to cast a vote,…

1. Reporting of threats or harassment. The Secretary of State shall accept and maintain a record of reports of threats to or harassment of public officials related to the conduct of federal, state or municipal elections in the State. The Secretary of State shall adopt routine tec…

The guardrail area is governed by the following provisions. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Within the guardrail enclosure. The clerk, election officials and not more than 2 voters in excess of the number of voting booths may be within the guardrail enclosure. The warden may perm…

Certain activities are prohibited on election day. [PL 2003, c. 447, §22 (RPR).] 1. Instruction limited. Within the voting place, a person may not instruct another in the method of marking the ballot, except as provided in section 672. 1-A. Definition. For the purposes of this se…

Certain activities at the voting place on election day are regulated as follows. [PL 2025, c. 397, §43 (NEW).] 1. Pollwatching. The warden shall allow at least one worker from each political party to remain outside the guardrail enclosure as a pollwatcher. If the municipality use…

A voter shall mark the ballot at a primary election as instructed in the directions on the ballot. [PL 1993, c. 473, §21 (AMD); PL 1993, c. 473, §46 (AFF).] 1. Individual candidate method. The voter must mark the ballot as instructed in the directions on the ballot to indicate th…

A voter shall mark the ballot at a general election as instructed in the directions on the ballot. [PL 1993, c. 473, §22 (AMD); PL 1993, c. 473, §46 (AFF).] 1. Individual candidate method. The voter must mark the ballot as instructed in the directions on the ballot to indicate a …

If a voter spoils a ballot, the voter may obtain a replacement, not more than twice, by returning the spoiled ballot to the election clerk in charge of issuing ballots. The warden, ward clerk or deputy warden shall write "Spoiled by voter" on the spoiled ballot and sign it. If a …

Except for elections determined by ranked-choice voting, the following provisions apply to the counting of ballots. The election clerks shall count the ballots under the supervision of the warden as soon as the polls are closed, except that if, in the opinion of the municipal cle…

The counting of ballots is governed by the following provisions. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Challenged ballot. A challenged ballot must be counted the same as a regular ballot. The validity of a challenged ballot need not be determined unless it affects the results of an ele…

An election official must use pens or pencils containing only red ink or red lead during the conduct of official election business on election day.

As soon as the election return has been prepared, the election officials shall perform the following duties. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Paper ballots wrapped. The election clerks shall wrap the tabulation of the count for each lot of ballots around that lot and secure it. Re…

When a container is required to be sealed, it shall be done so that the seal on the container must be broken before its contents can be examined.

As soon as practicable after the election return is prepared under section 711, if a secure place is available at the voting place or municipal office where the public may view a paper copy of the unofficial election results even when the voting place or municipal office is close…

As soon as the results of the election have been declared, the election return must be prepared. The warden at each ward or precinct shall fill out the election return form provided by the Secretary of State, showing the number of votes cast for each candidate or question and rec…

Within 15 business days after any statewide election, the registrar shall update all information in the central voter registration system for all voters in the municipality to reflect any voter registration activity after the incoming voting list was printed for that election and…

Within 20 days after an election, the Secretary of State shall tabulate the election returns and submit a certified copy of the tabulation to the Governor. The tabulation of a candidate or referendum election is considered final as of the date the certified copy is submitted to t…

1. Declared write-in candidates. To be considered a declared write-in candidate, a person must file a declaration of write-in candidacy with the Secretary of State, on a form approved by the Secretary of State, on or before 5 p.m. on the 70th day prior to the election. The candid…

The determination of an election or referendum question is governed by the following provisions. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Primary election. In a primary election, the person who receives a plurality of the votes cast for nomination to any office, as long as there is at lea…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. [PL 2023, c. 304, Pt. A, §14 (RP).] B. "Continuing ballot" means a ballot that is not an exhausted ballot. [IB 2015, c. 3, §5 (NEW); IB 2015, c. 3,…

Within a reasonable time after an election, the Secretary of State shall prepare and the Governor shall sign an election certificate, in accordance with Title 5, section 84, for each person elected to office according to the tabulation submitted under section 722. If the result o…

At the time the Governor publicly proclaims the result of the vote on any measure referred to the people for approval under the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 17 or 18, the Governor shall also provide written notice of the result of that vote to the Presid…

County officials elected at the general election take office on January 1st directly following election day. The terms of other officials commence on the day provided in the Constitution of the State of Maine or the Constitution of the United States.

1. Definition. For purposes of this section, "eligible election" includes any contested election for state or federal office and any election on a statewide referendum question. 2. Authority. Beginning January 1, 2025, the Secretary of State may conduct post-election audits of se…

There is a tie vote when 2 or more persons receive an equal number of votes, which number would entitle each one to nomination or election, except for the tie. There is a tie vote in a referendum, when a question receives an equal number of affirmative and negative votes.

When there is an apparent tie vote, the Secretary of State shall automatically initiate a recount. If a recount confirms a tie vote, the following provisions apply. [PL 2025, c. 114, §1 (AMD).] 1. Primary election. In a primary election, the Secretary of State shall notify each p…

Once a recount is requested for any federal, state or county office, the Secretary of State shall request that the State Police, sworn law enforcement officers employed by the Department of the Secretary of State or other sworn law enforcement officers take physical control of th…

Except as provided by this section, the method of conducting a recount of a statewide referendum is governed by section 737‑A. Appeal of challenged or disputed ballots is to the Supreme Judicial Court. [PL 2017, c. 141, §8 (NEW).] 1. Recount request. To request a recount of a sta…

On request, a municipal clerk or the Secretary of State, or both, shall produce any ballots or incoming voting lists in their custody before the Governor, either branch of the Legislature, any legislative committee or a court of competent jurisdiction. Original ballots produced u…

Absentee ballots may be cast at any election by any voter who requests an absentee ballot as provided under this subchapter. The voter need not specify a reason to receive an absentee ballot. [PL 1999, c. 645, §4 (RPR).] 1. Absence. 2. Incapacity. 3. Religious belief. 4. Confinem…

At least 3 months before any election, the Secretary of State shall furnish each municipality with a reasonable number of dated absentee ballot applications. A reasonable time, not less than 30 days unless an emergency exists, before any election, the Secretary of State shall fur…

The federal write-in absentee ballot may be used in primary, general and special elections for state and federal offices by uniformed service voters or overseas voters who are qualified pursuant to section 751.

1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Absentee voting period" means the time period beginning on the first date that absentee ballots are issued by the municipality and ending…

1. Applications available. On request, the clerk shall furnish a reasonable number of absentee ballot applications to any person. An application may not be furnished more than 2 months before a primary election for which the application will be used or more than 3 months before a…

1. Issuance of absentee ballots. Upon receipt of an application or written request for an absentee ballot that is accepted pursuant to section 753‑A, and after the official ballots become available, the clerk shall immediately issue an absentee ballot and return envelope by mail …

Any registered voter who is certified by the Secretary of State as a program participant in the Address Confidentiality Program pursuant to Title 5, section 90‑B is entitled to receive an absentee ballot for every election during the period of the voter's participation in the pro…