By Nancy English
Mainers vote on pieces of paper, creating a physical record that has proven its worth. Securely distributed and carefully stored, state and municipal ballots record elections efficiently. Under state law in Maine, a chain of custody is enforced for paper ballots before and after elections.
“Elections in the State of Maine are safe and secure, and voters can be confident their votes will be counted,” said Portland City Clerk Abbey Lombard.
Maine Fights ‘Federal Interference’
For more than a year, the State of Maine has joined with as many as 30 other states to fight attempts by the federal government to implement new rules for the midterm election. Maine and those states have won 24 lawsuits.
“We will continue to fight to ensure that Maine’s elections remain free from federal interference and every eligible Mainer can vote with peace of mind,” said Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
One lawsuit involved the United States Postal System’s new rules requiring bar codes on absentee ballot envelopes that would have to match a federal database. A federal judge in Boston barred the implementation of that rule before this November’s election. On September 14th, the United States Supreme Court left that ruling in place.
“Every attempt from the federal government to interfere with the states’ constitutional right to administer elections creates a drain on resources,” Bellows said. “We want Mainers to know the laws have not changed.”
Counting the Vote
Ballot votes are counted by machines called tabulators. In 2026, the Maine Secretary of State’s office shipped new tabulators to 397 towns and cities. Ninety towns still count ballot votes by hand, according to Bellows.
The vote tabulators are never connected to the Internet. The machines “meet modern cybersecurity standards,” Bellows said. Portland received 52 tabulators, replacing 32 machines previously in use. Each city polling place will have two to four tabulators.
Absentee Voting
The City Clerk orders municipal ballots for local offices. The city will receive its state ballots by October 5th, in time for the beginning of absentee voting. Requested absentee ballots are mailed as soon as the City has the state and municipal ballots in hand. As of September 15th, 2026, the Portland City Clerk’s office had received requests for 2,215 ballots.
Absentee voters can bring marked ballots to a drop box at City Hall’s Myrtle Street entrance or at its Public Works Department. The City maintains a second drop box location at 212 Cando Road. If you wish to mail your ballot, however, officials suggest doing so at least two weeks before the election.
According to Lombard, voter turnout four years ago for the last gubernatorial election was 71 percent. High turnout is anticipated again this year.
From October 5th to 29th, residents can go to the State of Maine Room on the second floor of City Hall to cast an in-person absentee vote. These trifold ballots will be processed beginning eight days before Election Day, November 3rd. Vote tallies are not accessed until the polls close at 8:00 p.m.
City Clerk staffs the State of Maine Room until 7:00 p.m. on the final day of in-person absentee voting, October 29th.
Same Day Registration
United States citizens who are residents of Maine may register to vote up to the day of the election. Deputy Registrars at the polling places register new voters, requiring ID and some evidence of residence, like a utility bill, if the address on the ID is not current.
People lacking those things can cast a “challenged ballot.” They then bring an ID and proof of residence to the City Clerk’s office later.
Following the election, marked ballots are locked in a padlocked box with a seal and stored in a locked vault, Lombard said. Should a close race require it, the ballots will be ready for a closely observed recount.
