FRANKLIN COUNTY – Do you have a plan for voting? Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day. On the ballot for mid-term elections this year are state governor, federal house of representatives, state senate and state house of representatives, along with county officials.
While absentee ballots have been made available throughout the state, the window for requesting an absentee ballot (with a few special exceptions) is now closed.
Election Day falls on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, and in-person voting may take place at your local municipal polling place.
Per state statute, opening times at polling places are flexible; the polls must be opened no earlier than 6 a.m. and no later than 8 a.m., with the exception of municipalities with a population of less than 500, where the polls must be opened no later than 10 a.m.
The polls must be closed at 8 p.m. on election day with the exception of municipalities with a population of fewer than 100, where the polls may be closed after all registered voters have cast their ballots.
The warden must allow all voters present at closing time the opportunity to vote; however, any person who arrives after closing time may not vote.
In addition, Maine allows for same-day voter registration. You must show proof of residency and identification to register to vote. You are not required to enroll in a political party to vote in the general elections
In Maine, homeless and displaced persons are eligible to register to vote, along with those who are incarcerated. An individual who is homeless or living in a shelter are entitled to register to vote in the municipality where they are currently residing, even if they have a non-traditional address such as a park bench or other physical location. An individual incarcerated in a correctional facility or a county jail is entitled to register to vote in the municipality where they previously established residency prior to incarceration.
State law says, “If satisfactory proof of identity and residency can not be provided to the registrar or deputy, the person’s name is entered into the central voter registration system and placed on the incoming voting list and the person casts a challenged ballot. If the person shows satisfactory proof of identity and residency prior to voting on election day, the person’s ballot is not challenged.”
If you are already registered to vote, you are not required to show proof of ID to cast your ballot. If you are eligible to vote, you cannot be turned away from your polling place; if there is an issue, you must be allowed to cast a challenged ballot.
Polling places are typically at the local town hall or community center, although in some communities the polling place is at a local school. For more information and a sample ballot, visit Maine.gov and utilize the Voter Information Lookup feature.
