Accessible Voting in Maine
For the Tuesday, November 8, 2022 General Election in Maine
- Same day voter registration is available.
- All voters can request a ballot by mail.
- Early voting locations are open before Election Day
Accessible Voting Tips
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
If you need more information or assistance using your right to vote, these organizations can help
- Visit your state Accessible Voting page or call (207) 624-7736 for the options available in your state.
- Contact your local election office for help voting and details about local support for accessible voting.
- Your local Center for Independent Living has information and other support.
- Call your state National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) Protection & Advocacy office if someone is interfering with your right to vote.
- If you are a first-time voter or moved recently, check the voter ID requirements in your state. VoteRiders has information about the types of identification accepted.
- You can also call 1-800-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting.
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
- Vote privately and independently
- At an accessible polling place
- Using an accessible voting system
If you need assistance you can:
- Ask an election worker, or
- Bring someone to help you
You may request your local election officials to tell you about any voting aids, voting assistance, and absentee ballot procedures that are available.
Election officials must make any reasonable accommodations you need to vote. This might include
- A place to sit if you have trouble standing
- A quiet, private place to vote
You cannot be refused the right to vote because an election worker thinks your disability means you are not qualified to vote.
Open the sections on this page to learn more about accessible options for early voting, voting in person on election day, and voting by mail.
Accessible voting features in Maine for voters with disabilities
- Check with your local election office to see if you can vote by mail for all elections.
- Voters with print disabilities can use an accessible vote-by-mail system.
Ask your local election office about other support for accessible voting, like:
- Election and voting information in large print, audio, or Braille versions.
- Curbside or drive-up voting, so you don’t have to get out of your car.
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill.
- How to get assistance in marking and casting your ballot.
- Other services or assistance for voters with disabilities.
- An opportunity to practice using the accessible voting system.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program.
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
Early voting is called in-person absentee voting in Maine.
October 9 through November 3, early voting is available at your municipal clerk's office.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
Voting places are open until 8:00 pm.
Opening times vary by location.
- Same-day registration is available at designated Election Day locations.
You can drop off your mail ballot at your local elections office on Election Day.
- You can drop off your mail ballot at all Election Day voting locations.
Find your polling place.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in Maine are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
ES&S ExpressVote
A ballot marking device.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on a small keypad.
The printed ballot is a list of selections printed on a narrow card.
Ballots are cast at a separate scanner.
Learn more about using ExpressVote
- Short video tutorial from Pennsylvania (YouTube 1:53)
- Video from Michigan (You Tube 12:29)
- Information about ExpressVote from Pennsylvania
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Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by the close of polls on Election Day, November 8.
How to get your ballot
- All voters can request a ballot.
- All voters must request a ballot for each election.
To get your ballot you can:
- Request a ballot online.
How to return your ballot
By mail
At a secure drop box
At your local elections office
Find a ballot drop-off location near you at your local elections website.
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
Return your ballot promptly. Postmarks don't count.
Put enough postage on the envelope.
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
- A family member, household member, or caregiver can return your ballot for you. Contact your local elections office for more information.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is a statewide accessible vote by mail program in Maine called Accessible (Electronic) Absentee Ballot
- You can use accessible vote by mail if you have a disability that prevents you from marking a paper ballot.
Choose the Accessible Ballot option on the online absentee ballot request page. You must certify that you have a print disability.
The Elections Division will send you an email with a link to the ballot download and a secure user name and password.
The ballot is an accessible PDF. There is a [practice ballot] online(https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/voter-info/BALLOT_260111_D.pdf) with instructions for using JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver
Mark your ballot. Then, enter your password as your signature on the final page to “lock and sign” your ballot.
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by the close of polls on Election Day, November 8.
Returning a printed ballot
- Save the completed ballot PDF to your computer
- Send it as an email attachment to uocava.cec@maine.gov with the subject line “Accessible Ballot”
- The Elections Division staff will send you an email with your ballot is processed.
Returning your ballot electronically
You have the option for electronic ballot return:
- By email
The systems in use in Maine for accessible voting by mail are:
Maine Accessible (Electronic) Absentee Ballot
Accessible system for voting by mail.
The ballot is marked and printed on your computer.
After marking, the ballot is saved as a PDF.
It can be returned by email or printed and mailed.
It was developed by Maine's online service provider InforME.
Learn more about using the Accessible (Electronic) Absentee Ballot
- Practice Ballot (PDF)
- Instructions for use with NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver (PDF)
Learn more about accessible voting options in Maine