AUGUSTA, Maine — The Online Absentee Ballot Request Service is now available for the Nov. 6, 2018 General and Referendum Election, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap notified voters recently.
Any registered Maine voter may choose to vote absentee, either via mail or in person at their town hall prior to Election Day. Voters do not need to provide a reason to vote absentee.
Voters can request an absentee ballot by completing and submitting their request form online at www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl The form can also be printed out and mailed or hand-delivered to their municipal clerk.
On the General Election ballot, Maine voters will elect one of Maine’s two United States Senators, Maine’s Governor, two Representatives to Congress, members of the Maine Legislature, and certain county officers. The Referendum Election ballot will include one citizens’ initiative question and four bond questions:
- Question 1: “Do you want to create the Universal Home Care Program to provide home-based assistance to people with disabilities and senior citizens, regardless of income, funded by a new 3.8% tax on individuals and families with Maine wage and adjusted gross income above the amount subject to Social Security taxes, which is $128,400 in 2018?”
- Question 2: “Do you favor a $30,000,000 bond issue to improve water quality, support the planning and construction of wastewater treatment facilities and assist homeowners whose homes are served by substandard or malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems?”
- Question 3: “Do you favor a $106,000,000 bond issue, including $101,000,000 for construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of highways and bridges and for facilities and equipment related to ports, piers, harbors, marine transportation, freight and passenger railroads, aviation, transit and bicycle and pedestrian trails, to be used to match an estimated $137,000,000 in federal and other funds, and $5,000,000 for the upgrade of municipal culverts at stream crossings?”
- Question 4: “Do you favor a $49,000,000 bond issue to be matched by at least $49,000,000 in private and public funds to modernize and improve the facilities and infrastructure of Maine’s public universities in order to expand workforce development capacity and to attract and retain students to strengthen Maine’s economy and future workforce?”
- Question 5: “Do you favor a $15,000,000 bond issue to improve educational programs by upgrading facilities at all 7 of Maine’s community colleges in order to provide Maine people with access to high-skill, low-cost technical and career education?”
The full text of the proposed legislation of each question is available for review on the Elections Division website.
Voters must submit absentee ballot requests or vote in-person absentee at least three days prior to the Nov. 6 Election. Ballots will be made available to civilian voters beginning 30 days before the election. (Ballots for uniformed service and overseas voters will be available at least 45 days before the election.)
The online service provides an email notification with a confirmation number. When the request is processed and accepted by the municipal clerk, the voter will be sent an additional notification and the ballot will arrive by mail. All Maine municipalities are required to accept electronic requests for absentee ballots.
If you have questions about the absentee voting process, visit http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/voter-info/index.html or call the Division of Elections at 624-7650.
