How to vote · 2026
Maine
Any voter can request a mail ballot
Every date below comes from the Maine election office and links to the page that states it. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Dates and rules
Registration, mail ballots, and early voting
Registration deadlineNovember 2, 2026Online/mail registration by Oct. 13, 2026 (21 days before); in-person registration at town offices continues through Election Day (same-day registration).
Mail-ballot request deadlineOctober 29, 2026
Mail ballots first sentOctober 5, 2026Absentee ballots are available and mailed from about 30 days before Election Day (Oct. 5, 2026; 21-A M.R.S. 752). Request by Oct. 29 (3 business days out) absent special circumstances.
Return ruleMust be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day
Early in-person votingOctober 5, 2026through October 29, 2026 · In-person absentee voting at municipal clerk offices from about Oct. 5 through Oct. 29, 2026 (3 business days before); hours vary by municipality.
Official ME election site ↗Dates last verified against the official site September 1, 2026.Sources: [1] USA.gov directory of official state election offices[2] Mail voting Oct. 5-Nov. 3, 2026[3] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[4] NCSL Table 7: statutory rule for when absentee/mail ballots are mailed[5] NCSL Table 5: statutory absentee ballot application deadline[6] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline
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The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.
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