MAINE, Maine — Election Day is two weeks away, and tens of thousands of Mainers have already cast their ballots ahead of Nov. 5. Local clerks said they're seeing an increase in voter registration, excitement, and early voting this year.
As of Friday afternoon, nearly 230,000 Maine voters have requested absentee ballots, and more than 122,000 absentee ballots have been returned and accepted to local clerks, according to the secretary of state's office. If you're waiting for your absentee ballot to be accepted by your clerk, or waiting for your ballot in the mail, you can track it using this link.
The state's new online voter registration tool has also played a role in increasing voter participation this year. More than 3,000 people used the platform to register to vote for the first time, or to update their registrations, according to data from the Secretary of State's office. The Oct. 15 deadline to use the online resource has passed.
Bangor City Clerk Lisa Goodwin said the city recorded roughly 1,000 online voter registrations since September and, as of the start of this week, accepted more than 5,000 absentee ballots. City Hall has been busy with early in-person voting, Goodwin added, with roughly 200 people voting each day.
Goodwin has also noticed a common question from residents who decide to vote early. She said clerks or election workers need to record the date and time when you fill out your ballot, which is why voters will see workers mark their ballots before entering it into the state's system.
Maine's early voting period runs until Thursday, Oct. 31. Bangor will move its early voting location from City Hall to the Cross Insurance Center next week as a way to make that process more efficient for voters, Goodwin said. Voting at the Cross Insurance Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday next week.
Goodwin has overseen plenty of presidential elections in Bangor. She said they're always busy, but she has noticed voters are spending more time casting their ballots in 2024—something voters should keep in mind if they're voting in-person in two weeks.
“Just to get through those three ballots, it's a lot," Goodwin added. "So people should plan on that. They should plan on being here a little bit longer to get through all of the ballots if they haven’t studied them ahead of time and know exactly what they want to do."
Between the presidential and statewide races, along with Maine's five referendum questions and local ballot questions and races, there is a lot to vote on this year. So, Goodwin and Portland City Clerk Ashley Rand are encouraging Mainers to study their sample ballots ahead of time.
Rand told NEWS CENTER Maine on Tuesday that early voting has been busy in the state's largest city, and she's noticed more residents are utilizing Portland's two ballot drop boxes than previous elections.