ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE TOWN OFFICE.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS
Absentee Ballot APPLICATIONS are made available 90 days prior to the election.
Absentee BALLOTS are made available thirty (30) days before the election.
Absentee ballots will not be issued after the close of business on the Thursday prior to the election unless there are special circumstances (see "SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES" below).
Absentee ballots must be received by 8:00 pm on Election Day in order to be counted. Any absentee ballots received after this time will not be counted.
Absentee Ballot APPLICATIONS are made available 90 days prior to the election.
Absentee BALLOTS are made available thirty (30) days before the election.
Absentee ballots will not be issued after the close of business on the Thursday prior to the election unless there are special circumstances (see "SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES" below).
Absentee ballots must be received by 8:00 pm on Election Day in order to be counted. Any absentee ballots received after this time will not be counted.
A voter or immediate family member may request an absentee ballot in person at the town office during regular business hours, by filling out an application for an absentee ballot.
A voter may vote by absentee ballot in person at the Town Office during regular business hours.
A voter may request an absentee ballot over the phone during regular business hours. Absentee ballots requested over the phone are mailed out either the same day or next day. They can be returned by mail, or in person or by a family member at the town office (either across the counter, or by dropping in the secure drop box) or at the polls on Election Day.
For state-wide elections ONLY, an online absentee ballot request service is available, which is activated prior to each upcoming election. http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl (applicable municipal ballots will also be made available for those using the online request system).
Absentee ballots must be returned by 8:00 pm on Election Day.
NEW TO THE ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST SERVICE: Voters with disabilities are able to request an accessible electronic absentee ballot using the online Absentee Ballot Request (ABR) service http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl . The Elections Division will process the absentee ballot request and will issue an email notification to the voter, with login credentials and instructions for accessing the state’s secure ballot website to download an HTML ballot. The ballot will allow the voter’s screen reader software to read the ballot to the voter and provide a means for the voter to independently mark the ballot and electronically “sign” the voter’s affirmation (using their provided password). They will then save the marked, locked and signed ballot to their computer and return it to the Elections Division drop box via email.
The deadline to request an Absentee Ballot is 6 pm the THURSDAY PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY.
Special Circumstances Application - REQUIRED after deadline and must meet strict criteria:
Any voter requesting a ballot, including voters who request to vote in the clerk’s presence, after the deadline must complete the Special Circumstances Application and indicate one of the 4 reasons allowed by statute: Title 21-A §753-B, sub-section 2(D):
1) Unexpected absence from the municipality during the entire time the polls are open on Election Day; 2) Physical or mental disability;
3) Inability to travel to the polls if the voter is a resident of an island ward or precinct;
4) Incapacity or illness that has resulted in the voter being unable to leave home or a treatment facility; or
5) Being a caregiver who is unable to attend the polls due to the incapacity or illness of another person.
The application must be signed by the voter. An immediate family member CANNOT sign the Special Circumstances Application for the voter.
The voter must indicate in the application how the ballot is to be issued.
Witness requirements are the same as for absentee ballots issued prior to the deadline.
The Special Circumstances Application must be completed even if the voter wants to vote the ballot in the municipal office.
By signing the application, the voter is making an unsworn oath that all information in the application is true.
Once the application is completed by the voter, the Municipal Clerk must issue the ballot in the manner requested by the voter.
NOTE: The deadline for returning absentee ballots has not changed.