Maine

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to vote you must be:

• A U.S. citizen
• A resident in the municipality where you intend to register to vote
• At least 18 years old to vote (17 year olds may vote in primary elections as long as they will be 18 by the time of the general election).

College Students

If you are a student, you have the right to register in the municipality where you attend school, if you have established residency there. You must meet the same residency requirements as all other potential voters, but may not be asked to meet any additional requirements. If you are a student not a resident of the municipality in which you attend school, you cannot register in that municipality.

Incarcerated Voters & Returning Citizens: 

In Maine, those with criminal records never lose the right to vote. If you are incarcerated, regardless of the offense, you can vote. 

Suppose you are a Maine resident serving a sentence in a correctional facility or county jail. In that case, you have the right to register to vote in the Maine municipality where you had previously established residency (a permanent and main home to which you intended to return) before your incarceration. 

Voters without traditional residence: 

Individuals in Maine experiencing homelessness or residing in a shelter have the right to register to vote in the municipality where they currently live, regardless of having a non-traditional address like a park bench or other physical location. Instead of providing standard residency documents, they can submit a sworn physical description of their residence to the municipal clerk. Voters experiencing homelessness are not obligated to provide a mailing address for voter registration.