BANGOR, Maine — Referendum elections are scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 7, but absentee ballots became available at all city and town offices on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Clerks are encouraging people to vote early and to take advantage of absentee ballots.
Bangor City Clerk Lisa Goodwin said absentee ballots are made fairly accessible for voters.
"It’s pretty easy for somebody to get an absentee ballot," Goodwin said.
Voters who want to take advantage of voting by absentee ballot can visit their local clerks and town office and pick up a ballot in person.
Goodwin said clerks and town offices are also ready to start receiving absentee ballots. Old Town City Clerk Laura Engstrom said voters may find the absentee ballot process more convenient.
"You may be away on election day, so this works for you," Engstrom said. "Or maybe you don’t want to be out in the public. That’s still a thing."
There are multiple ways voters can request absentee ballots. Goodwin said voters can request absentee ballots electronically, and then they would later receive the ballot in the mail.
Goodwin also said voters can call their local clerk or town office and request a ballot over the phone.
According to Engstrom, the person who is casting the ballot has to be the person to make the ballot request over the phone. Once the ballot is requested, Engstrom said the clerk's office sends the ballot in the mail.
All absentee ballots must be requested before the close of business day on Nov. 2.
Once voters receive their absentee ballot, they must fill their ballot out and return it. Several clerks and town offices are using drop boxes to make returning absentee ballots easy.
Godwin said voters can also return their ballots in the mail, but Engstrom said voters who are voting through absentee ballot need to make sure they return their ballot in time.
"You have right up right until election day at 8 p.m. November 7th. You have up until then to return them," Engstrom said. "And they will be counted."
Engstrom said that there are a lot of referendum questions on the state ballot, and voters need to take some time to make sure they understand the questions before they use the absentee ballot voting process.
"Do your due diligence, you know," Engstrom said. "Research this stuff before you vote, and it makes it a lot easier for you."