Voter Rights
Info from the Maine Secretary of State's Office's Website
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." - Plato
If I have any problems, or if I am not allowed to vote, I should call:
The Elections Division - 1-888-868-3763, or The Disability Rights Center - 1-800-452-1948 V/TTY. Office of the Secretary of State 111 Sewall Street (101 State House Station), Augusta, ME 04333 www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec and Disability Rights Center of Maine 24 Stone Street, PO Box 2007, Augusta, ME 04338 Tel. 1-800-452-1948 V/TTY — www.drcme.org |
The U.S. Constitution gives all citizens the right to vote.
I can register to vote in Maine if:
I may vote by absentee ballot instead of voting in person at the voting place. I do not need a reason to vote by absentee ballot. 21-A MRSA §§751 and 753-A. If I am not registered to vote, I can register on Election Day and vote. (I must register in person and must show ID and proof of where I live.) 21-A MRSA §121. I cannot be turned away from my voting place. I must be allowed to vote a challenged ballot. (If I don’t have ID or proof of where I live, I will cast a challenged ballot. I may be asked to show ID after the election.) 21-A MRSA §§121, 161 and 673. If I am in line at the voting place at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, I still may register and vote. 21-A MRSA §§127 and 626. I may see a sample ballot and get help on how to mark my ballot before I vote. I also may ask for help to read or mark my ballot. 21-A MRSA §§651 and 672. If I make a mistake, I can get a new ballot. 21-A MRSA §693. I have the right to use Maine’s Accessible Voting System (AVS) at my voting place. 21-A MRSA §629(1)(A-1). I may not be harassed when voting or be pressured about how to vote. 21-A MRSA §§672 and 682. If I am under guardianship, I may vote. Doe vs. Rowe, 156 F. Supp. 2d 35 (D. Me. 2001). |
