Here's what Mainers need to know

Mainers will make their voices heard this Election Day. CBS13 has put together a voter guide with information Mainers should know before they go to the polls on November 5th.

Depending on where you live, polling stations are open on Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. All polls statewide close at 8 p.m

How do I register to vote?

Main citizens aged 18 and over are allowed to vote in the municipality in which they live.

New voters or those who have moved from one community to another can fill out a voter registration card at your city or township office or at any Bureau of Motor Vehicles location.

There is no deadline for registering in person and you can also register at your polling place on Election Day. You must provide proof of residency at your address, e.g. B. an ID card or an electricity bill.

To confirm your registration, call your municipal office.

Where is my polling station?

The state has an online tool you can use to search for your polling place. You can also call your municipal office.

How can I vote by postal vote?

You can request a ballot using the state's online form or at your municipal office. The state recommends allowing seven to 10 days to receive your ballot if you request it less than a month before the election.

The deadline to return your ballot to your local clerk is 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. You can use this online tool to track the status of your ballot application.

What is Ranked Choice Voting?

Ranked-choice voting, also known as instant runoff voting, allows voters to select candidates in order of preference.

In Maine, it is used in primaries for state office and in both primary and general elections for federal elections. For example, this fall we will see ranked-choice voting in the US Senate and Congress.

In principle, you can rank as many candidates as you want when voting: first, second, third, etc. But this is not necessary, you can also simply select one.

Your first choice will be counted on election night. If a candidate gets 50 percent plus one vote, they win overall.

If not, all ballots will be taken to a secure location in Augusta where they will be counted in rounds of ranked-choice voting.

Let's say we have three candidates: A, B and C.

C receives the fewest votes, so he is eliminated in the first round and then distributes all of his second-choice votes to the other candidates.

If there are more candidates, there are more rounds, and this continues until one candidate gets more than 50 percent. Let's say in our example it is B and is declared the winner.

Ranked-choice voting has been used to determine races multiple times since Maine began using it in June 2018.

For example, Congressman Jared Golden defeated then-incumbent Bruce Poliquin in a four-way race this fall after ranked-choice voting lasted about nine days.

However, the counting of ranked selections rarely takes that long. However, if there is no clear winner on election night, it could take several days to go through the ranked choice process.

Maine is currently one of three states, including Alaska and Hawaii, that use rankings at the statewide level. Nevada will consider doing so in the fall. About 45 cities across the country use it at the municipal level.

The Maine Secretary of State's Office provides useful videos and other information about ranked-choice voting website.

Questions about the nationwide referendum

QUESTION 1: An Act limiting contributions to political action committees that engage in independent expenditures. Do you want to place a $5,000 cap on donations to political action committees that independently spend money to support or defeat candidates for office?

Question 1 concerns Super PACs and elections. Proponents of Question 1 say it will deter powerful people from other states from interfering in Maine's interests. Opponents say they are concerned that Question 1 restricts free speech and could mean legal costs for Maine.

QUESTION 2: An Act authorizing the issuance of general fund bonds for research, development and commercialization. Favor a $25,000,000 bond issue to provide funds to be awarded through a competitive process and at least a one-for-one matching private and federal funding for research, development, and commercialization for Maine-based public and public entities mobilize? private institutions supporting technological innovation in the target sectors of life sciences and biomedical technology, environmental and renewable energy technology, information technology, advanced technologies for forestry and agriculture, aquaculture and marine technology, composites and advanced materials, and precision manufacturing?

Question 2 asks whether voters want to invest $25 million in technological innovation. If passed, the bond would donate money to public and private entities working on projects in areas such as biomedical technology, renewable energy or advances in forestry.

QUESTION 3: An Act authorizing a general fund bond issuance for the restoration of historic community buildings. Do you support a $10,000,000 bond issue for the restoration of historic buildings owned by governmental and nonprofit organizations, with the issuance of the funds contingent upon a 25 percent local funding requirement from private or nonprofit sources?

Question 3 asks whether voters would approve a $10 million bond to restore historic buildings owned by the government or nonprofits.

QUESTION 4: An Act authorizing a general fund bond issuance to promote the design, development and maintenance of trails for outdoor recreation and active transportation. Do you favor a $30,000,000 bond issue to invest in the design, development and maintenance of non-motorized, motorized and multi-use trails nationwide, matched by private and public contributions of at least $3,000,000?

Question 4 on your ballot would provide the funds needed to recover from storm damage, repair bridges and repair signs.

If all three bond questions are approved, it would be a $65 million federal loan. Maine State Treasurer Henry Beck says that represents an estimated payback of $86.6 million after interest.

All three bond questions require some sort of private or public consensus for the bonds to be issued. This means that the recipient must make a certain investment in the project in order to receive this government funding.

QUESTION 5: An Act to restore the former flag of the State of Maine. Do you support making the former state flag, which was replaced as the state's official flag in 1909 and commonly known as the Pine Tree Flag, the state's official flag?

Question 5 asks if you would like to replace the current Maine flag, which is blue and features the state seal, with one that resembles Maine's original 1901 flag with a pine tree and a blue star. There is no motif on the ballot paper itself.

presidential candidates

• Kamala Harris, Democrat
• Donald Trump, Republican
• Cornel West, independent
• Jill Stein, Green Party
• Chase Oliver, libertarian

Presidential election votes

Maine has a total of four electoral votes, two of which are awarded to the statewide winner and one to the winner of each congressional district in the state.

Maine, along with Nebraska, is one of two states that allocate a portion of its electoral votes based on congressional districts rather than on an all-win basis. The winner of Maine's statewide popular vote receives two electoral votes, and the state has favored Democratic presidential candidates since 1992. The state's remaining electoral votes are awarded based on votes in each of Maine's two congressional districts.

In 2016 and 2020, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden won the statewide vote and the 1st Congressional District vote. Republican former President Donald Trump won the 2nd Congressional District in both years.

U.S. House of Representatives – Candidates for 1st Congressional District

• Chellie Pingree, Democrat – Incumbent – ​​Pingree was first elected to Congress in 2008.
• Ronald Russell, Republican
• Ethan Alcorn, Independent

U.S. House of Representatives – Candidates for 2nd Congressional District

• Jared Golden, Democrat – Incumbent
• Austin Theriault, Republican

In the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden faces competition from Republican Austin Theriault in his bid for a fourth term. The last time Golden ran for re-election in a presidential year, he received 53% of the county vote, while Trump received 52% in the presidential campaign.

Candidates for the US Senate

• Angus King, Independent – ​​Incumbent
• Demi Kouzounas, Republican
• David Costello, Democrat
• Jason Cherry, independent

Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, faces the challenge of defeating Democrat David Costello, Republican Demi Kouzounas and independent Jason Cherry in his bid to be re-elected. King was first elected to the Senate in 2012.

A complete list of Maine State Senate candidates can be found HERE

A complete list of candidates for the Maine House of Representatives can be found HERE.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.