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Mainers can begin casting their votes for the Nov. 4 election when in-person absentee voting begins Monday.
Two high-profile statewide ballot questions about voting access and gun regulations will be decided next month, as will myriad local races.
Here's what you need to know about what will be on the ballot, how to vote early and how to learn more about your local races.
Absentee ballots allow citizens to cast their ballots before Election Day, whether in person or by mail.
In-person absentee voting will be available at town offices and city halls across Maine until Oct. 30, according to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. That date is also the deadline for residents to request an absentee ballot be mailed to them.
"Maine has no-excuse absentee voting, which means you can vote absentee for any reason or no reason at all," Bellows said Thursday.
Absentee ballots must be received by local election officials by the time polls close on Nov. 4 to be counted.
Many high-profile political figures, including President Donald Trump, have claimed that mail-in ballots and absentee voting are rife with fraud. Bipartisan election officials both nationally and locally say that isn't true.
Despite Maine Republicans' claims earlier this year that dozens of Mainers had cast multiple ballots in last year's election, a subsequent investigation found no such instances of dual voting. On a national level, voter fraud hardly happens at all, let alone enough to swing an election.
Earlier this week, a Newburgh woman reported that she had been inadvertently sent 250 blank ballots in an Amazon package. Republicans have claimed this shows vulnerabilities within Maine's voting system, but Democratic election officials say there's little, if any, chance any of those ballots would have been counted had they been filled out and returned.
Every absentee ballot must be returned in a signed return envelope that's paired and tracked with the ballot.
"If a ballot showed up without an envelope, it wouldn't be counted," Bellows said Thursday.
"You can't stuff a ballot box because every absentee ballot must be closely connected to that absentee (voter)," she added. "It must be in an absentee ballot return envelope signed by the voter, and it must correspond to a lawful absentee ballot request."
Question 1 will ask citizens if they want to make several changes to voting in Maine. Though much of the fanfare has focused on a provision that would require voter ID at the polls, the question includes other adjustments to absentee voting, ballot counting and more.
If approved, Question 1 would add restrictions on how towns can conduct elections. It would end ongoing absentee voting for seniors -- which allows older Mainers and those with disabilities to continually receive absentee ballots each election without applying for them. It would also limit how many ballot drop-boxes towns can offer and eliminate people's ability to request ballots on behalf of family members.
Question 1 also would extend the period in which voters can request absentee ballots and mandate that municipalities use a bipartisan team of election officials to collect ballots from drop-boxes.
Proponents say the changes will make Maine's elections more secure. Opponents argue the proposals would make it more difficult for the roughly 45% of Mainers who voted absentee last year to do so in the future.
Maine voters will also decide whether to establish a red flag law that would allow family or household members to directly petition a judge to temporarily restrict a person's access to firearms if they are suspected of being a significant danger to themselves or others.
Lawmakers have debated similar proposals in the past, but the current referendum was precipitated by the 2023 Lewison mass shooting, in which a man with a history of mental illness and violent outbursts murdered 18 people and injured 13 others.
Advocates for gun control argue a red flag law would have prevented the Lewiston shooting and could stop other killings in the future. Those opposed say the proposed policies are needlessly complex and could infringe on constitutional rights. They also argue that Maine's unique yellow flag law, which can only be initiated by law enforcement and requires a mental health evaluation before a petition may be filed in court, is sufficient.
The citizen-initiated referendum has proven contentious, and millions of dollars have poured in to support both sides of the campaign from donors across the country.
Details about local races, candidates, polling places and hours can be found by calling or visiting local town offices. The Press Herald also has a host of information and stories on its website: pressherald.com/tag/election-2025/
Hours vary by town and Bellows advised residents to call their town office in advance to double check when they are open.
The last day to register to vote by mail is Oct. 14. Absentee ballots can be requested from municipal clerks until Oct. 30.
Residents can register to vote anytime before polling places close on Election Day.