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Can I vote by mail in Maine?
Yes. Anyone can request a mail ballot.
Any registered voter can request a mail (absentee) ballot, no reason needed. There's a deadline, so request early.
- Voter registrationTue, Oct 13Passed
Same-day registration is available in person.
- NextFill it in, sign the envelope, and get it in the mail byTue, Oct 272 days
USPS says allow 7 days. Your ballot must be received by Tue, Nov 3. After this date, use a drop box or return it in person.
- Returning it:
Received by your municipal clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Dropping it off? Drop boxes are widely available here, and using one skips the mail entirely. municipal drop boxes.
Who can return it for you: Only certain people may return it for you. The voter or an immediate family member (spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, siblings incl. half/step, step-relatives, in-laws, guardian, domestic partner, etc.) may return the ballot by mail, in person, or in the clerk's secured drop box. A non-family '3rd person' may return it only if named in the voter's written application/request (not a candidate or candidate's family); the ballot must then be witnessed (notary, clerk, or 2 witnesses), the 3rd person must return it within 2 business days or by close of polls, whichever is earlier, and may hold no more than 5 ballots at a time. Statute says the 3rd person delivers to the clerk; drop-box use by a 3rd person is not addressed. source
- Mail request must be receivedThu, Oct 294 days
Ask now: a request on the last day leaves no time to mail the ballot back.
Missed the request deadline?
- Voter with special circumstances: unexpected absence from the municipality all day on Election Day; self-certified physical or mental disability; island resident unable to travel to the polls; or incapacity/illness keeping the voter home or in a treatment facility, or keeping the voter's caregiver from the polls. Deadline: Tue, Nov 3, 8 p.m. (voted ballot at the municipal clerk). Sign the Secretary of State's special-circumstances absentee application at the municipal clerk's office (may also be issued to an immediate family member or a designated 3rd person on a written application); may vote in the clerk's presence. source
- Election DayTue, Nov 39 days
If your ballot gets flaggedDeadline: Tue, Nov 3 · 9 days
If your ballot was flagged
- Read the letter, email or text from your county. It says what's wrong.
- Confirm your signature in person or by phone with your town clerk before polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, or request a replacement ballot. Deadline: Tue, Nov 3 · 9 days
- Call your county election office. You can say:
Hi, I voted by mail and my ballot was flagged. What do I need to do to fix it, and by when? Can I do it today?
Trouble voting? Free, nonpartisan hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE · 888-VE-Y-VOTA · 888-API-VOTE · 844-YALLA-US
Where are you with your ballot?
Where are you with your ballot?
Will your ballot count in Maine?
Will your ballot count in Maine?
- Is this your first time voting by mail?
- Have you moved since you last voted?
- Has your signature changed much since you registered?
Why ballots get rejected in Maine, and how to avoid it
- Extra step in your state: a witness (notary, clerk, or two others) is needed only if someone other than you or an immediate family member obtained the ballot, or if you had help marking it. This is the #1 reason ballots get tossed where it applies.
- Sign the envelope the way you signed your voter registration or driver's license. Your state compares them.
- Use the secrecy sleeve if one is included, then the return envelope. Don't tape anything.
- Keep the phone and email on your registration current. If there's a problem, that's how they reach you to fix it.
Voting in person insteadpolling place, early voting, ID
Open now through Thu, Oct 29. Locations and hours
You don't need to show ID to vote in person. Exception: if you registered by mail and this is your first federal election in the state, federal law says bring ID the first time.
Accepted: None for registered voters; ID and proof of residence only for Election Day registration Without one: You get a regular ballot. Only same-day registrants without ID/proof of residence cast a challenged ballot and may be asked for ID after the election.
More about your statepermanent list, counting, alerts
Maine has an ongoing absentee voter status for any voter. Sign up once and you won't have to request again. Since Dec. 31, 2025 any voter (not just 65+ or disabled) may apply on the state form to the municipal clerk; a ballot then comes for every election.
Maine cannot start counting mail ballots until Election Day itself, so results take longer than you might expect. Results are certified Mon, Nov 23.
Watching the numbers? Your state publishes a running count of mail ballots requested and returned: Maine's absentee data
- Military or overseas. You're covered by federal law (UOCAVA), which usually gives you longer deadlines and electronic delivery. Use the Federal Post Card Application to register and request a ballot in one step. If your ballot doesn't arrive, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot is your backup. FVAP.gov
- College student. You can register at your school address or your family's, not both. If you're registered back home and away at school, request a mail ballot from home early; campus mail is slow. Some states require a specific reason for students to vote absentee, so check your state's rule above. Student voter guide
- Disability or need help marking a ballot. Every state must offer an accessible way to vote. Most have an accessible mail-ballot option you can mark on a screen reader or your own device, and all allow a person of your choice (not your employer or union rep) to assist. Ask your county election office for the accessible absentee ballot. If illness, a hospital stay or a disability keeps you from the polls AFTER the request deadline, most states still have a way to get you a ballot: see "Missed the request deadline?" under your state's dates, and "Who can return it for you" for whether a family member or helper may carry it back. EAC: voters with disabilities
- Moved recently. Your registration is tied to your address. If you moved within your state, update it before the registration deadline; if you've moved across state lines, register in the new state. Moved after the deadline? Many states let you vote at your old precinct one last time or update in person; call your county. vote.gov
- Past felony conviction. Rules vary widely: some states restore rights automatically on release, others after probation or parole, a few require a separate process. Don't assume you can't vote. Check your state before the registration deadline. NCSL: restoration of voting rights
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Verified against the official page 2026-09-09. Rule checked 2026-09-09. Deadlines checked 2026-09-09. Request deadlines are "received by," not postmarked. The official site wins if anything differs. Spot something wrong? We check every report against the state's own page and fix errors as soon as they're reported. Email fix@ballotbymail.org or use the report form.