Live updates: Maine on pace for record midterm turnout as state votes in highly watched elections
Read all of our coverage of Maine's 2026 election or stay up to date with the latest developments through the Maine Political Report in your inbox or text messages from politics editor Kirby Wilson.
Election volunteer Pat Pelliccia looks up a voter on Tuesday at the Auburn Senior Community Center. (Libby Kamrowski Kenny/Staff Photographer)
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The nation is watching as Mainers headed to the polls Tuesday at a record-setting pace for a midterm election.
Top of mind for many is the highly anticipated U.S. Senate race between Democrat Troy Jackson and Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent.
Voters will also pick a new governor and a representative for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.
Related
Not sure what's on your ballot? Explore our free 2026 Maine voter guide
Control of the Maine Legislature will hinge on battleground races. Many ballots will also include county and local races and referendums on everything from district attorneys to data centers.
Find your polling place and consult our free Voter Guide to see races on your ballot and compare candidates.
Did you have a problem at the polls? Let us know and we’ll look into it.
Follow here for live updates throughout the day and night.
Live
Updated 4:38 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Don’t expect Maine election results right away
Polls close at 8 p.m., but we likely won’t know the winner of Maine’s highest-profile races for hours — or even days.
Maine waits to release official results, meaning news organizations like the Portland Press Herald fill the information gap on Election Day by reporting unofficial results collected from individual towns.
It’s likely that less than half of the votes will have been counted by midnight, if past elections are any indication. But by noon Wednesday, some 80% of votes should be counted, according to a New York Times analysis.
If races go to ranked-choice voting, the wait for those outcomes can stretch even longer. State elections officials have to physically transport ballots in unresolved races to a centralized location to begin preparing ballots for automatic runoffs.
We saw this process in action in the spring, during the primary. It took more than a week to know who the gubernatorial nominees would be.
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Updated 6:51 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Penelope Overton Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/penelope-overton/)
In small Midcoast community, only a few dozen voters haven’t shown
ARROWSIC — Turnout on the bridged Midcoast island community of Arrowsic was so high — more than 86% — that registrars in the small town hall could name the voters who hadn’t cast a ballot by 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The island, located just outside Bath, is home to about 380 registered voters. By dinner time, fewer than 50 had yet to show up.
“We’ve had great turnout,” registrar Vicky Stoneham. “Faces we see everyday and faces we haven’t seen in a long time. And a few new ones, too.”
The small election crew greeted voters, traded updates about their children and grandchildren, complained about the tenor of the season’s political ads, and shared details on local lighthouse trail conditions.
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Updated 6:39 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Madeleine Kaptein Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/madeleine-kaptein/)
Some parents motivated to vote for Jackson by their daughters
STANDISH — Jennie Greene said she felt strongly about supporting Troy Jackson for U.S. Senate because her 26-year-old daughter had good direct experiences with the Democrat while interning at the AFL-CIO union.
“In a pretty male-dominated field, he was super encouraging with her,” said Greene, 49, as she exited the Standish Municipal Center just after 6 p.m. “That means a lot to me.”
Leaving the polls just after her was TJ Scannell, 46, who similarly said he voted for Jackson thinking of his teenage daughters.
“I care more about them than anybody else, and women’s rights are just being trampled right now by… well, let’s just call it the incumbents,” Scannell said.
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Updated 6:28 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Randy Billings Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/randy-billings/)
Affordability top-of-mind for Bangor voters
BANGOR — Affordability, the infringement of personal rights and the U.S. Senate race were on the mind of several voters who spoke to the Portland Press Herald outside of the Cross Insurance Center, the city’s only polling location.
Related
As life in Maine gets more expensive, young people struggle to keep up
Julie Robins, a 58-year-old elementary school teacher, said she’s supporting Democrat Troy Jackson in Maine’s Senate race, despite supporting Susan Collins in 2020. Robins said she left the Republican Party about 10 years ago, when Donald Trump won the 2016 election.
“I wasn’t worried about my personal rights” back then, Robins said. “But as I’ve seen, little by little, huge things have happened that have taken away from our rights.”
But a 67-year-old man, who would only give his first name, Sam, said his decision to support Collins was an easy one. “I think she’s a better candidate, plain and simple,” said Sam, who works in logistics.
Will Auger, a 27-year-old photographer, said he felt like he had a duty to vote in the midterms. His most important objective was checking Trump’s power — especially when it comes to tariffs and the Iran war, which are driving up the prices of gas.
“We gotta do something,” Auger said. “If it does turn blue, then we might actually have a chance to stop these things from happening.”
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Updated 6:19 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Madeleine Kaptein Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/madeleine-kaptein/)
Gorham voters fed up with political ads
GORHAM — Though many disagreed on candidates, one thing voters exiting Great Falls Elementary School after casting their ballots had in common Tuesday was an eagerness to stop seeing so many political ads.
“They were very slanderous to each other. It made it terrible to listen to,” said Tony Cataldi, a 45-year-old Gorham resident. “Especially the Troy Jackson song and all that stuff. It’s just immature.”
Related
Troy Jackson’s partner responds to Republican attack ads
Kat O’Brien, 41, just moved to Gorham from South Portland last week with her wife, Amanda. She’s been receiving about 20 campaign text messages a day.
“Why is Ice-T encouraging me to vote?” she said, referring to a blast message she had received containing a video from the rapper. “He’s cool and everything, but like, I don’t need to hear from him.”
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Updated 6:17 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Jake Freudberg Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/jake-freudberg/)
For Skowhegan woman, candidate choices were personal
SKOWHEGAN — Voting for Bobby Charles, the Republican candidate for governor, was what Nicole Carter was most excited about when she headed to the polls Tuesday afternoon.
The 54-year-old substitute teacher said she liked Charles’ pledge to provide property tax relief to disabled veterans, since her husband is one. Charles has said that, if elected, he would eliminate property taxes for veterans with a 100% disability rating and double the homestead exemption for combat veterans.
Carter, who described herself as an independent who mostly votes Republican, split her ticket in state legislative races, voting for incumbent Republican Jennifer Poirier for House District 70 and Democrat Ester Franklin for Senate District 3. She said she knows both candidates personally.
Accompanying her to the polls was her 16-year-old daughter, whom Carter wanted to educate about how voting works.
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Updated 6:02 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Billy Kobin Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/billy-kobin/)
In a rural York County town, strong turnout, pro-Collins voters and data center debate
HOLLIS — One of the Maine towns that is likely less up in the air in the U.S. Senate race is Hollis, a York County community west of Portland that Collins carried by nearly 27 percentage points in 2020.
The town hall parking lot was bustling around 5 p.m. Tuesday. Warden Lila Wilkins said turnout is likely to near 60%; the town of about 5,000 has 3,355 registered voters.
Voters exiting town hall were greeted by a local business owner collecting signatures for a proposal to ban data centers in Hollis. The proposal would go on the ballot in June and would go further than a measure before the select board to ban centers larger than 25,000 square feet.
A few voters expressed support for Collins over Jackson, while the data center issue in Hollis and other towns was harder to define in terms of partisan leanings.
Jennifer Young, 53, told a reporter she wants to see clearer definitions for data centers. She otherwise said she supported Republicans candidates Tuesday.
“The new Democratic Party scares the living crap out of me,” Young said.
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Updated 5:49 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Andrew Rice Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice/)
Portland voters are deciding on a third of the City Council
PORTLAND — While the high-profile races for Maine governor and U.S. Senate are undoubtedly fueling the surge in turnout Tuesday, voters in Maine’s largest city also face a consequential local election: Portlanders will choose one-third of the City Council, potentially swaying the policy outlook in 2027.
In both District 4 and 5, candidates greeted voters as the afternoon rush began. Standing outside the First Baptist Church in District 4, Jeff Christmas said he voted for former mayor Kate Snyder due to her previous leadership, and for Anna Bullett in District 4. As a musician, he said he appreciated Bullett’s stance against the controversial Portland Music Hall project that had been backed by Live Nation.
As Bullett, the incumbent, stood next to challenger Jake Viola, a voter on their way in pointed at Viola and said, “I know you, I’m voting for you.”
At the Grace Baptist Church in District 5, Terri Grover said her first choice vote went to Ilma Lopez but that all the candidates were strong. She said she looked for candidates that will put forward well-thought-out policies rather than ones that will have unintended consequences.
“I like somebody who is really invested in the district,” she said. “I put three kids through Portland schools, and I have a long-term vested interest in this neighborhood.”
Voters citywide are also choosing a new at-large councilor.
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Updated 5:45 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Troy Jackson is a ‘bumpkin,’ Collins ally says
Former TV personality Bill Green starred in a pro-Susan Collins ad in the closing days of the race that became somewhat controversial.
“We’re not talking about buying a cord of wood here,” Green said in the ad. “We’re sending someone to the U.S. Senate, and Troy (Jackson) doesn’t have the tools he needs to be effective.”
On Tuesday, Green doubled down on his remarks about Jackson, which were sharply criticized by Democrats as elitist.
“He’s a bumpkin,” Green told the New Yorker.
In response, Jackson, a former logger from rural Allagash in Aroostook County, posted to X that he is a “proud bumpkin.”
“Go vote,” Jackson added.
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Updated 5:42 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Jake Freudberg Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/jake-freudberg/)
Skowhegan voter sees Republican ticket as change to status quo
SKOWHEGAN — Nathan Davidson said he voted for Susan Collins, Paul LePage and Bobby Charles to affect change. The 36-year-old, who works for an industrial supply company, said he has tended to vote Republican in recent years.
“I don’t really care for the way things are running now,” Davidson said on his way out of Skowhegan’s municipal building around 4:30 p.m. “And the people that are running on the other side of things, a lot of what they stand for is the way things run now.”
LePage and Charles are vying for seats held by Democrats, while Collins has been a U.S. senator for three decades.
Davidson, meanwhile, had no interest in the state legislative races on the ballot.
“If I don’t know ’em, I don’t vote,” he said.
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Updated 5:33 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Zuha Animashaun
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/zuha-animashaun/)
Voters offer mixed views on ranked choice voting
LEWISTON — Some voters at Longley School cited confusion or reluctance when picking candidates Tuesday. Ranked-choice voting has been in use here since 2018, but in the general election, it’s only used for federal and local races.
Related
How ranked-choice voting could affect Maine’s US Senate and House races
Craig Rubin, 36, hoped he voted correctly, saying he found it “a little bit confusing.”
Several voters deliberately did not rank candidates, choosing one while leaving their second and third choices blank. Christopher Albert, 56, said he only chose the people he thought would do the best job: “I don’t vote for second or third.”
Tori Maxwell, 27, supports ranked-choice voting, saying it gives voters more power, and would have ranked the three gubernatorial candidates if given the opportunity.
“It’s a wonderful way to make voting more accessible,” Maxwell said.
Read more
Updated 5:29 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Dana Richie Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dana-richie/)[
Riley Board Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/riley-board/)
DOJ poll watchers ask about interpreters, training
Henry Saniuk, election warden for District 5 in South Portland, said Justice Department poll watchers asked him about the training that he received as warden and if the city had hired interpreters as part of its election operation.
There were two interpreters at the Redbank Community Center in South Portland who were hired by an outside organization, Saniuk said, and had only helped a handful of people as of late Tuesday afternoon.
The minority language provisions of the Voting Rights Act requires that any county or town in which at least 5% of the voting-age population are limited-English proficient provide an interpreter at the voting locations. The most recent list, created in 2021, does not list any Maine towns.
Saniuk said the DOJ staff also asked about an accessibility machine, which voters can use if they have a visual impairment or to hear an English version of the ballot read aloud. He said typically there are fewer than five votes cast this way each year, and that four had been cast so far at that site Tuesday.
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Updated 5:20 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Maeve Fairfax Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/maeve-fairfax/)
Some Richmond residents mailed incorrect state ballots
RICHMOND — Several Richmond residents were mailed absentee state ballots for the wrong town, officials said Tuesday.
Town Warden Therese Acord the mistake was discovered a few weeks ago when a resident was filling out an absentee ballot in the town office and noticed it was labeled “Hope, Warren.”
Ballots come in packs of 50. Since the incorrect stack was still about half full, Acord said she guessed fewer than 25 wrong ballots had been distributed.
Deputy Warden Minnie Grizkewitsch said 759 absentee ballots were processed by noon, and six incorrect ballots were discovered among them.
Acord called all six voters and asked them to come vote in person. She also offered to drive the correct ballots to their houses if need be.
As of 2:15 p.m., two of the six had already voted in person with the correct ballot, and one had made a plan to come in after work.
One of the incorrect ballot recipients was Emily Smith. She got the call around 10 a.m. and was able to vote just before 5:30 p.m.
She said voting in person was an inconvenience, because she works 30 minutes from town and has a toddler, but she was willing to do it.
“(I’m) grateful that they took the time to recognize the error and called me right away,” she said.
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Updated 5:15 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Joe Lawlor Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/joe-lawlor/)
Voters look forward to relief from endless ads
SOUTH PORTLAND — Voters at the South Portland Community Center on Tuesday afternoon said they were glad the election is over so the political advertisements — the barrage of flyers, text messages and television ads — can stop.
Kristyn Tillman, 58, said she’s been “bombarded with flyers.”
Related
The numbers behind the political ads driving Mainers crazy
Tillman said she voted for Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson because “I think he’s going to be a good advocate for us and straighten things out.” She said Republican Sen. Susan Collins, the incumbent who was first elected in 1996, has been in office “too long.”
Regarding South Portland’s $88 million bond issue for new police and fire stations, Tillman said she voted “no” because property taxes have increased substantially in recent years, and the city should consider renovations instead of new buildings.
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Updated 4:42 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Salomé Cloteaux Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/salome-clotreaux/)
Unprecedented number of local candidates welcome voters at Scarborough High
SCARBOROUGH — There are seven people running for three seats on the Scarborough Town Council — an unprecedented number of local candidates for the town.
Many of them, along with candidates running in state legislative races and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hannah Pingree, lined the entrance to Scarborough High School on Tuesday afternoon to greet voters. Some candidates had been there since 7 a.m., shaking hands and introducing themselves, and planned to be there until 8 p.m.
When Town Council candidate Sean Flaherty arrived at 6:50 a.m., there was already a line from the door to the parking lot.
About 9,000 Scarborough residents had already voted before Election Day — almost half of the approximately 19,000 registered voters in town — and another 3,600 had cast votes in person by 4 p.m.
“It’s a good sign for democracy,” Flaherty said.
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Updated 4:31 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Maeve Fairfax Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/maeve-fairfax/)
Record numbers of absentee voters in Bowdoinham
BOWDOINHAM — Town Clerk Tina Magno said Bowdoinham has never had more than 800 absentee ballots submitted in an election. But Tuesday, officials will process over 900.
Magno said in-person voters have steadily trickled in throughout the day and guessed that turnout has been just below that of the last presidential election. When polls opened this morning, around 20 people were already waiting.
“It’s an important election,” she said.
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Updated 4:20 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Abigail Pritchard Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/abigail-pritchard/)
Colby College students chase down disinformation in ‘election war room’
WATERVILLE — An AI-generated video on Facebook shows a Troy Jackson-like figure, dressed up in a “Dumb and Dumber” suit, saying he supports Susan Collins now. At Colby College, students are taking note.
In an election disinformation war room, students are documenting and tracking misinformation and disinformation about the election.
Colby College students troll social media platforms Tuesday for mis- and disinformation on Election Day for a report by the Critical Internet Studies Institute. (Abigail Pritchard/Staff Writer)
A list pinned to the wall includes “asking for ID,” “poll watcher,” “rigged” and “fraud” among keywords to look out for, and students are taking one-hour shifts focusing on different online platforms where mis- and disinformation flourish.
Joan Donovan and Stephen Rea, both with the Critical Internet Studies Institute, will use the information students gather to create a report on the role online disinformation played in the election. And event organizer Professor Farah Qureshi hopes students leave with a toolkit to help them fight the misinformation they encounter every day.
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Updated 4:13 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Dana Richie Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dana-richie/)
Immigrant voters register and vote amid DOJ presence
SOUTH PORTLAND — Hawo Ali was excited to show her “I voted” sticker to her children after she voted for the first time Tuesday.
She registered to vote at a black plastic table that was decorated with red, white and blue rubber ducks and a cup full of American flags in the Redbank Community Center gymnasium.
Ali, originally from Somalia, decided that this election was the time to exercise her right to vote, more than 25 years after she moved to the U.S.
She voted Democrat down the ballot. “I’m not happy with the way things are going,” she said. Everything is getting more expensive, and she returns home from the grocery store each week with less and less.
And people who look like her are being targeted, Ali said. “We love this country,” she said. “We do the work.”
A few feet away, two Department of Justice poll watchers sat on the top row of the red plastic bleachers, watching her and the steady stream of voters. One scribbled away onto a clipboard. She glanced up at them while she spoke to a poll worker.
While waiting in line to collect her ballot, a man approached Ali, offering to translate. She replied that her English is good enough to read the form.
Henry Saniuk, the district warden, guided her to the accessible voting booth. She stood behind the cardboard barrier and placed headphones over her patterned red hijab.
Ali grinned as she left the polls: “Something needs to change.”
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Updated 4:08 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Ray Routhier Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/ray-routhier/)
Voter: Senate race a chance to rebuke Trump
SOUTH PORTLAND — Briana Quinn wants Susan Collins to be held accountable.
Quinn, 45, is upset with many of the actions President Donald Trump has taken during the past two years, saying his administration has not done enough to lower the costs of everyday life and help working families.
And she feels Collins, as a senior Republican senator, has enabled them. That’s why Quinn cast her vote for her opponent, Democrat Troy Jackson, at the Boys & Girls Club on Broadway.
“I am really unhappy with Sen. Collins. She has not stood up to the Trump administration, and she needs to be held accountable,” Quinn said.
Read more
Updated 4:01 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Nicole Carter Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/nicole-carter/)
Harrison, Waterford voters weigh school changes
OXFORD HILLS — Two towns in Maine School Administrative District 17 have an emotional issue on the ballot: a referendum asking Harrison and Waterford voters to affirm the school district’s 2025 decision to close Waterford Memorial School and send all elementary students to Harrison Elementary.
Most voters exiting Harrison polls Tuesday afternoon said they support the school board’s decision and voted “yes” to affirm the move.
“We don’t have enough students that attend Waterford,” one voter said. “It costs too much. We’re still under capacity at Harrison Elementary, with all the kids attending there now.”
When both schools were open, Waterford taught 76 students but had a capacity to serve 204, while Harrison had 107 students with room for 213.
The town of Harrison has petitioned the Maine Department of Education to form a school withdrawal committee. If MSAD 17 moves to close its elementary school in favor of further consolidation, Harrison leaders are likely to pursue seceding from the district.
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Updated 3:58 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Ethan Horton Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/ethan-horton/)
Battleground state House districts could swing on personal relationships
BOWDOINHAM — Peter Bickford has lived in Bowdoinham for less than five years, but he knows state Rep. Sally Cluchey personally through community organizations they’re both involved in.
That’s why Bickford, 72, voted for Cluchey, the Democrat in House District 52, where the margin of her victory was just 14 votes two years ago.
“She’s been a good representative for Bowdoinham,” he said.
It’ll be voters like Bickford — a former Republican, now unenrolled, who chose independent Rick Bennett in the governor’s race — that could swing this tight state legislative district and more than two dozen others across the state, potentially determining control in Augusta.
Read more
Updated 3:42 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Dylan Tusinski Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dylan-tusinski/)[
Sara Coughlin Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sara-coughlin/)[
Joe Phelan Staff Photographer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/joe-phelan/)
Maine on pace for record midterm voter turnout
AUGUSTA — This year’s election is on pace to draw more voters to the polls than any other midterm election in Maine history, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said.
Speaking to reporters outside a polling place in Augusta, Bellows said Maine is on track to see a record number of eligible voters cast their ballots by the time polls close at 8 p.m.
“Turnout is extraordinary. We saw record turnout in the early absentee voting period,” Bellows said.
Over 300,000 Mainers had already voted before Election Day this year, Bellows said — roughly a third of the state’s registered voters.
Bellows said the level of turnout could be on track to beat records set by the 2022 midterm elections, when Mainers were first in the nation for voter participation.
“This is people’s chance to be heard,” said Maine State Auditor Matt Dunlap, who’s seeking the 2nd Congressional District seat. “And that’s why they should get out and do it.”
Hallowell City Clerk Lisa Gilliam said two-thirds of registered voters had cast ballots by 3:30 p.m.
“We have been nonstop,” Gilliam said. “It’s never slowed down, which is really good.”
Read more
Updated 3:30 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Dana Richie Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dana-richie/)
Poll chaplains prepared as DOJ monitors arrive
SOUTH PORTLAND — Interfaith chaplains Colleen Myers and Amy Liston lingered outside of the entrance of the Redbank Community Center on Tuesday afternoon.
Less than a week before the election, South Portland was added to the list of Maine cities that would be watched by Department of Justice federal election monitors. The two women were there to ensure that voters felt comfortable casting their ballots.
“We’re a peacekeeping presence,” said Myers, 78. “We felt like if these people have the courage to come out and vote in this context, the least I can do is come out and walk with them.”
The pair volunteered for shifts through Multifaith Justice Maine, which is part of the progressive Maine’s People Alliance. The group has chaplains at Portland, Lewiston, Augusta and Bangor polling locations, Myers said, plus anywhere they thought there might be trouble.
The DOJ poll watchers arrived not long after.
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Updated 2:58 pm · November 3, 2026
[
J. Craig Anderson Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/j-craig-anderson/)
Can you vote in Maine without an ID? | Fact brief
Yes. Maine doesn’t require registered voters to show ID at the polls. Voters state their name and home address, and an election clerk checks the voting list.
To learn more, read the rest of this fact brief, produced in a partnership between the Maine Trust for Local News and Gigafact.
Updated 2:53 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Joe Charpentier Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/joe-charpentier/)
Election Day has been ‘very calm,’ Bellows says
LEWISTON — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows stopped by the Lewiston Armory midday Tuesday where Wards 1 and 3 voters were casting their ballots.
Bellows said her office has not received any complaints aside from the “mundane Election Day concerns.”
Related
Problems at the Maine polls? Let us know what you see.
Bellows was visiting Lewiston as part of a tour of Maine cities and towns to engage with wardens, clerks and observers and, so far, there have not been any complaints. People have seemed to “appreciate the hard work of the election clerks,” she said.
“There have been concerns here in Lewiston that we might see some of the same targeting of Lewiston voters based on race or ethnicity that was alleged during the early voting period,” Bellows said. “In fact, what we’re seeing is that things are very calm.”
Read more
Updated 2:45 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Abigail Pritchard Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/abigail-pritchard/)[
Claire Tighe Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/claire-tighe/)
6 Maine towns vote on mobile home lot rent and affordability
Mobile home lot rent has soared across the state of Maine in the last few years. Should towns be stabilizing that rent?
Updated 2:27 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Rory Sweeting Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/rory-sweeting/)
Windham considers a $19.5M community center
WINDHAM — Residents will decide Tuesday whether to spend $19.5 million to convert Windham Middle School into a community center that would bring the town hall, library and social services under one roof.
Right now, those municipal services are housed across three aging buildings. The middle school is set to close in 2027, as students from Windham and Raymond move into a new building.
Related
Here’s what’s on the ballot in Windham
At the polls Tuesday, Amy Beth Brochu-Krikken said she voted yes on that project.
“It gives us a space to experience one another and build more community for this wonderful town,” she said.
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Updated 2:20 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Donna M. Perry Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/donna-perry/)
Residents turn out to vote in Jay
More than 420 residents had turned out to vote by midday at the Jay Community Building and 611 absentee ballots had been counted, Town Clerk Raeleen York said.
Melissa Forbes, 61, said she wants “a blue wave.”
“I am concerned about our democracy, women’s rights and political corruption,” Forbes, 61, said.
Voter Allen Veilleux, 54, said: “At the end of the day this state is in trouble. We need Republican leadership badly, badly, badly.”
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Updated 2:09 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Abigail Pritchard Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/abigail-pritchard/)
Waterville voters say election ads are a waste of money and time
WATERVILLE — Voters in Waterville said they were frustrated by political ads, which many called a waste of money.
“They suck,” one voter said. Others called political ads “frustrating” and “a pain in the butt every day of the week.”
While most voters said a political ad has never changed their mind, former Waterville mayor and Democrat Dana Sennett, 74, said attack ads against Troy Jackson gave him pause — he wondered if Jackson really is corrupt.
The ads Sennett referred to lean into innuendo rather than facts, according to Press Herald reporting, and Sennett, who once voted for Sen. Susan Collins, voted for Jackson despite his concerns.
At the end of the day, he said he worried more about Collins siding with Trump.
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Updated 1:43 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Rachel Estabrook Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/rachel-estabrook/)
League of Women Voters has 250 nonpartisan observers on the ground
Since 2020, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Maine has trained volunteers on Maine election laws and deployed them to watch polling places, Deputy Director Jennifer Lancaster said.
Normally the group has about 70 volunteers, but this year, Lancaster said 250 people are deployed to all 16 Maine counties, a sign of the high amount of interest in how the election is being run.
“There are a lot of eyes on the election right now,” she said Tuesday afternoon. “As far as we’ve seen, everything is pretty smooth and secure.”
The group had received some reports of electioneering, which Lancaster called “pretty innocuous,” like signs within the 250-foot mandated distance and people “getting too friendly” at entrances where voters were coming inside.
“We try to make sure they’re aware of Maine law,” she said.
The League of Women is one of several groups deploying poll watchers in Maine today, including political parties and the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Overall it’s a very smooth-running Election Day,” Lancaster said.
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Updated 1:31 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Penelope Overton Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/penelope-overton/)
This Lewiston poll watcher has faith in democracy
LEWISTON — Clad in her colorful vestment, Christine Dyke, the lead minister at First Parish Congregational Church Gorham, called herself “a polling place peacekeeper” as she greeted voters at the Longley School in Lewiston. She said she was one of more than a dozen faith-based poll watchers volunteering in Lewiston and Portland on Election Day.
“We want to make sure that everybody’s able to vote because everybody is beloved and of equal status under God,” Dyke, 61, said. “That has not always been the case in this country when it comes to voting, so we are here to protect democracy. And to listen also, too, you know?”
Dyke said she talked to a woman who brought an early ballot with her that she’d filled out the wrong way. She wanted a new one, Dyke said, but election officials made her wait while they consulted the rules. The voter told Dyke she felt like they were trying to deter her from voting.
“She was on fire when she left that room,” Dyke said. “She said she would never vote again. But I listened to her, let her get it out, and by the time she left, I think she realized that while she was slowed down, she did in fact cast her vote. So the system worked.”
Contrary to what voters might think, Dyke doesn’t pray with voters. But she did say a prayer this morning, before she left for her three-hour shift.
“What for?” she asked. “I prayed for our country. And for peace.”
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Updated 1:13 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Katie Langley Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/katie-langley/)
State and federal races trump local referendum for Freeport voter
FREEPORT — Signs urging voters to vote for or against an ordinance aimed at launching the Island Rover, a long-landlocked ship that has spurred decades of controversy and lawsuits, lined Holbrook Street leading to the polling place at Freeport High School on Tuesday.
Chip Lawrence, a Freeport town councilor and State House candidate, was at the polls Tuesday afternoon and said he’s unsure if people will be motivated by the referendum. He believes it only impacts a small group of people.
Related
Here’s what’s on the ballot in Freeport
After voting, Mark Routhier, 65, said he’s less concerned about the contentious boat issue and more so about “(Flipping) the Senate.”
Routhier voted “no” on the citizens’ initiative, which would allow temporary boat launches in a specific zoning district, because he said he’s concerned about the environmental impact the project could have on the shoreline.
He said he came out to vote, as he’s done since his 20s, for a simpler reason: his dislike of President Trump.
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Updated 12:55 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Sydney Richelieu Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sydney-richelieu/)
‘I Voted’ stickers adorn memorial in Biddeford
BIDDEFORD — Kelsey Cummings waved at a passing car as she sat at the intersection of Hill and Pool streets in Biddeford, where Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was killed by a federal immigration agent in July.
A memorial for the young father was newly adorned with “I Voted” stickers and signs encouraging passersby to head to the polls.
“Biddeford is going through a lot right now,” Cummings, 32, said. “You don’t have to love any candidate, you just have to vote. Especially with this tragedy happening right here.”
Cummings, a local small business owner, said Biddeford is facing a myriad of issues, such as homelessness, immigration enforcement and a high cost of living.
But despite it all, Cummings still has hope for her community.
“We all matter,” she said. “People just need to find their voice. Why can’t it be us?”
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Updated 12:38 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Quentin Blais Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/quentin-blais/)
Electronic tabulation comes to Dallas Plantation
DALLAS PLANTATION — This year, this Franklin County municipality of roughly 300 retired a decades-old wooden ballot box in favor of an electronic tabulation machine.
None of the poll workers knew how old the former ballot box was, but it has been used in every election for as long as anyone could remember. When the polls closed, votes were hand counted — sometimes until 2 a.m.
Even in a community as small as Dallas Plantation, the updated machine could ease the workflow after the polls close.
“Staying late into the night might actually be fun,” poll worker Davis Schinas said. “All we have to do is press a button.”
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Updated 12:23 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Sydney Richelieu Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sydney-richelieu/)
Kennebunkport voters to decide funding for Prelude
KENNEBUNKPORT — Janet Polo is new to town, but she’s looking forward to attending her first Christmas Prelude next month.
“I think it should be funded by the town,” Polo, 70,said. “People need fun things to do.”
Voters are facing two ballot questions about the popular holiday event, which has been a focus of debate this year.
Related
What’s on the November ballot in the Kennebunks?
The Kennebunkport Business Association runs the festival that draws huge crowds to the seaside community every December. The town has long covered some expenses, including wages for municipal employees who are involved in security and traffic management.
Officials realized this year that a local ordinance requires organizers to pay those costs.
One referendum would amend that ordinance to allow the town to cover certain costs, and the other would allocate $17,500 for this year’s celebration.
That money, Polo said, is worth it.
“It makes people happy,” she said. “It brings people together.”
Read more
Updated 12:07 pm · November 3, 2026
[
Abigail Pritchard Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/abigail-pritchard/)
Oakland voters support mobile home lot rent stabilization amid cost of living concerns
OAKLAND — With mobile home lot rent stabilization on the ballot in six towns statewide, some Oakland voters are supporting the effort to control costs.
Voters cited high cost of living and say they wonder how people on fixed incomes can be expected to pay exceedingly high rent for the land they keep their houses on.
“People can’t even afford to buy oil,” Lori Mairs, 53, said. “The food prices and the gas, it’s just getting to be that you can’t even live anymore.”
Related
Here’s what’s on the ballot in Oakland
A citizens initiative brought the mobile home lot rent question to the ballot in Oakland after the town council said it would not pursue an ordinance. Towns across the state have been facing the same question as out-of-state owners raise rents on mobile home lots.
Oakland has seen higher than usual turnout for a midterm election so far, according to Town Clerk Kathy Paradis.
In a rare showing, Paradis said the 6,000 person town had a line out the door of its polling place at 7 a.m. and the office received 1,372 absentee ballots ahead of Election Day.
Read more
Updated 11:51 am · November 3, 2026
[
Russ Dillingham Staff Photographer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/russ-dillingham/)
US Department of Justice poll watchers spotted at Lewiston voting location
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division monitor voters Tuesday morning at the Montello School polling station on East Avenue in Lewiston. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)
LEWISTON – Poll watchers from the U.S. Department of Justice in plain clothes were spotted Tuesday morning at the Montello School.
The man and woman identified themselves as from the federal agency to the Sun Journal, but would not give a statement. A third person standing with the poll watchers would not identify himself.
The DOJ announced plans in late October to send election monitors to Portland and Lewiston, both cities with large immigrant communities.
The announcement came after reports of electioneering and voter intimidation in Lewiston. The DOJ’s announcement prompted several organizations, including League of Women Voters and Maine Veterans Alliance, to launch poll watching of their own.
The surge in poll watching comes amid concerns President Donald Trump will influence the elections through the federal government, as the president makes unproven claims of widespread voter fraud.
Read more
Updated 11:43 am · November 3, 2026
[
Isabelle Oss Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/isabelle-oss/)
York High School students disappointed they can’t vote
York High School students Cooper Woods, left, and Owyn Alfis greet voters on Tuesday. (Isabelle Oss/Staff Writer)
The lines to vote at York High School had died down by 11 a.m., but freshman Cooper Woods, dressed as Uncle Sam, eagerly greeted voters as they walked in.
It’s his way of showing enthusiasm for the election while he waits another four years to cast his own ballot.
Related
Here’s what’s on the ballot in York
“Since I was five, I always wanted to vote, and I’m just getting closer and closer,” he said.
He and his classmate, Owyn Alfis, even tried to fill out their Voter ID, but were turned away because they’re 14 years old. Missing out on this year’s state races is especially difficult for the eager students.
“I joke that I’m running for senate right now,” Woods said as he watched voters file in and out of his school. “I’m disappointed I can’t participate. I know it’s very important for both sides, and it matters a lot, and I feel like in my own ways I can support.”
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Updated 11:21 am · November 3, 2026
[
Donna M. Perry Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/donna-perry/)
Turner voters motivated by civic duty
TURNER – Residents arriving at the town office to vote were highly motivated to cast their ballots.
“I always vote. I never miss,” said Randy Braby, 54. “I would like to see a change in power in Congress.”
The older he gets, Braby said, he sees the need for a kinder, gentler nation.
“What we will see today will be a mirror reflection as Mainers and Americans,” he said.
Greg St. Hilaire, who is in his 40s, said he also votes every election because it is his civic duty.
Caleb Staples, an associate pastor at the Calvary Baptist Church in Turner, said he wanted to make sure his vote counts. As a person of faith, he said he wants “to vote biblical truths and those that are closest to biblical values.”
Town Manager Kurt Schaub said half of the town’s registered voters had cast their ballots by 10:30 a.m.
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Updated 11:08 am · November 3, 2026
[
Megan Gray Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle/)
Collins’ Biddeford office vandalized overnight, reports say
Traces of a message painted near Sen. Susan Collins’ Biddeford office could still be seen Tuesday morning. (Sydney Richelieu/Staff Writer)
In the hours before polls opened on Election Day, the sidewalk in front of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ Biddeford office was splattered with red paint and the words “BLOOD ON HER HANDS,” TV stations reported.
The campaign said the vandalism happened overnight before Election Day.
“This is another incident in a series and the second attempt at our Biddeford office to intimidate the senator and her staff. These tactics are disturbing, but not effective,” Katie Brown, the senator’s chief of staff, said in a statement. “Our staff is undeterred and on the job.”
The same office was also vandalized with spray paint in September.
Read more
Updated 10:56 am · November 3, 2026
[
Riley Board Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/riley-board/)
High level of outside interest at Portland polling site
It was a busy morning at the Reiche School in Portland’s West End — and not everyone in the school gym is a vote.
Site warden Susan McMillan said just under 600 people had cast their ballots by 10 a.m.
“I have never seen this amount of outside interest at this polling place here before,” McMillan said.
So far, she’s greeted poll watchers from the League of Women Voters, the Democratic party, the Republican party and Sen. Angus King’s office. But none from the U.S. Department of Justice.
McMillan also noted the presence of exit pollers, which she’d never seen before at the Reiche site.
Near the exit door to the gym, Autumn Sardinha was collecting surveys from departing voters. She’s a local contractor for a company called Social Science Research Solutions that provides exit poll data to national news organizations including ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and the Associated Press.
The exit pollers are instructed to ask every other voter leaving the site to fill out the survey, which is anonymous. Sardinha said so far, engagement has been high.
Read more
Updated 10:48 am · November 3, 2026
[
Eve Neumann
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/eve-neumann/)
State House candidates greet voters
Voters fill out their ballots then wait in line to put in counting machine around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday at the the Boys & Girls Club of Kennebec Valley Sandra M. Prescott Clubhouse in Gardiner. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)
GARDINER — The two candidates for Maine House District 54 greeted voters outside of the Boys and Girls Club of Kennebec Valley on Tuesday morning.
Both said they reveled in the energy of Election Day and the steady turnout.
Incumbent Rep. Karen Montell, a Democrat, got to the polls in Gardiner around 7:40 a.m. and planned to be out all day.
“I think it’s fabulous that there’s so many people exercising their right to vote,” Montell said. “I think it’s a strong sign that people want to be engaged, and I think that’s a good thing. I think everyone needs to be a part of this democracy.”
Michelle Tucker, her opponent, is a member of the school board in MSAD 11 and the president of the Maine Federation of Republican Women. During her campaign, she has traveled across the state to speak with candidates and encourage women to vote.
“There’s great energy, and there’s great impetus for change,” Tucker said. “I am so grateful for all of the people that I’ve been able to meet along this journey and I’m grateful for all the candidates that I’ve gotten to know all over the state.”
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Updated 10:17 am · November 3, 2026
[
Emily Duggan Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/emily-duggan/)
Get an “I Voted” sticker — and a treat
LEWISTON — The Green Ladle might be the best smelling polling place in the city.
The restaurant is run by Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s culinary students.
On Tuesday, students sold a plethora of baked goods, including Japanese milk bread cinnamon rolls, cider donuts and seafood bisque.
Lilly Wang, 18, a senior at Leavitt Area High School, one of the schools that sends students to LRTC, said the money raised on Election Day goes towards program funding. This spring, the group plans to go to southern Italy on a tasting tour.
In between talking to a reporter, Wong helped one Lewiston woman with the purchase of homemade focaccia.
“I love that you guys have this,” the woman said.
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Updated 10:06 am · November 3, 2026
[
Sophie Burchell Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/sophie-burchell/)
High volume of absentee ballots in Yarmouth as voters see ‘false information’ online
YARMOUTH — The town distributed 3,200 absentee ballots in the runup to Election Day — more than three times the usual number.
As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, the clerks said all but 158 had been returned. In the June election, about 4,000 people voted in Yarmouth in total.
“It’s been four weeks of crazy,” said Deputy Clerk Ruth Bennett, who has worked Yarmouth’s elections for 20 years as of this fall.
Related
Here’s what Yarmouth voters will see on November’s ballot
Bennett and Town Clerk Lisa Grant attributed this increase in absentee voting to “online misinformation” and “scare tactics” that Yarmouth voters said they were seeing on Facebook and via spam text.
“People were coming to us saying the polling places may be unsecure,” said Bennett, who had a fresh stack of returned absentee ballots on the table in front of her.
“Nobody’s ever had a concern before,” Grant added.
Residents have until 8 p.m. to return their absentee ballots.
Read more
Updated 9:48 am · November 3, 2026
[
Riley Board Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/riley-board/)
Deering High School students strike over fears about polling site risks
Some students at Portland’s Deering High School are staying home today, after the district denied their request for a virtual day over concerns related to the school’s status as a polling site.
On Election Day in 2024, Deering was among more than a dozen schools that went into lockdowns following hoax shooting threats.
Related
Election Day in Maine may come with tensions over poll watching
Students at the school, which serves an especially diverse population with many immigrants, also had concerns about the potential presence of immigration enforcement officers and Department of Justice poll watchers at the school, according to reporting in the student newspaper, the Deering Clocktower.
Students distributed flyers Monday calling on their classmates to “stay home” and “skip the lockdown,” the Clocktower reported.
Superintendent Ryan Scallon said Tuesday morning that staff and students presented him with a petition late last week, asking for a virtual school day. He notified the school board, and they consulted the city clerk, the secretary of state and the local police department, who all advised that there was little risk.
To make a change as drastic as a fully virtual school day, Scallon said, there has to be evidence of a threat.
“Our safest space for a lot of students is in school,” Scallon said, alluding to those who access food or other supports from the high school.
There is extra staff on site today at Deering to help, he said, and the polling place at Deering is in a self-contained area separate from student spaces. Scallon said it was too early to know how many students were actually absent Tuesday.
Read more
Updated 9:33 am · November 3, 2026
[
Abigail Driscoll Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/abigail-driscoll/)
For some, Election Day is about community
SACO — Diana Huot doesn’t know how many years she has been voting, but she knows she has never missed an election.
Related
Here’s what’s on the municipal ballot in Saco and Biddeford
The best part of Election Day, Huot said, is the community coming together. She likes seeing people come together after casting their ballots to talk about their lives — and even their politics.
“I think we can be more honest with each other that way,” she said.
Read more
Updated 9:00 am · November 3, 2026
[
Zuha Animashaun
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/zuha-animashaun/)
High costs on the mind of first-time voter
LEWISTON — High school student Kaiya Poulin planned to vote for the first time at Longley School on Tuesday.
Poulin, 18, said the midterms would be a good reflection of the country’s mood. She referenced Republicancontrol of Congress and the White House, saying she didn’t like the job they were doing.
“Prices have never been higher,” Poulin said. “They promised that they would fix prices for groceries and gas, and they’re still really high.”
Related
What’s on the Lewiston ballot?
She also called for generational change, saying it was time for Sen. Susan Collins to move on.
“I think that when she promised two terms, she should have stuck to two terms,” Poulin said.
Before casting her first ballot, she researched all candidates fully.
“I think it’s really important to be well educated when you come to the polls,” Poulin said.
Read more
Updated 8:42 am · November 3, 2026
[
Gregory Rec Staff Photographer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/gregory-rec/)
Voting is a family affair in Gorham
Erin Auger kneels at a voting booth at the Gorham Municpal Center while voting on Tuesday with her children Jack, 4, left, and Emmy, 3. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
Updated 8:15 am · November 3, 2026
[
Penelope Overton Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/penelope-overton/)
Voters line up outside Longley School in Lewiston
LEWISTON – More than 30 people were lined up waiting for Warden Cathy McDonald to open voting at Ward 4 polling place at Longley School in Lewiston Tuesday.
“It’s the most I’ve had since I started working this ward eight years ago,” McDonald said. “We usually have three or four on their way to work, but there’s a lot of interest in this election.”
Another poll worker chimed in: “So many ads!”
To get to the polling places inside the school — wards five and seven were also inside — the voters had to pass through a gauntlet of cheery candidates offering their name, their assistance in finding the right polling place and their gratitude for the person coming out to vote.
A half dozen poll watchers from both parties and the League of Women voters were lined up against the wall inside the cafeteria to observe the Ward 4 process. One hour into voting, McDonald said she had yet to meet one of the U.S. Department of Justice poll watchers that were reportedly heading to Lewiston, Portland and South Portland. But then again, those observers don’t have to identify themselves, McDonald said.
So far, McDonald said no one who wanted to vote had been rejected, only redirected to the proper ward.
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Updated 8:07 am · November 3, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
What do the polls say going into Tuesday?
The polls say it’s going to be a great night to be a Democrat. Jackson leads Collins by six points in the latest NYT/Press Herald/Siena poll. That same survey found Democratic gubernatorial nominee Hannah Pingree with a comfortable, double-digit lead as well.
Related
Troy Jackson leads Susan Collins by 6 points in final NYT/Press Herald/Siena poll
But of course, Democrats have been burned before, with pollsters proving too bullish about their chances in 2016 and 2020 — when Collins upset Democrat Sara Gideon to win a fifth term.
And the pollsters have had little to say about the other race that we’ll be watching closely Tuesday: The 2nd District race between Republican former Gov. Paul LePage and Democratic State Auditor Matt Dunlap.
Read more
Updated 7:38 am · November 3, 2026
[
Megan Gray Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle/)
Election workers keep lines moving at the polls
PORTLAND — Poll worker Christina Roberts called out to the line of voters snaking through the parking lot at the Italian Heritage Center: “Any first-time voters?”
When five young people raised their hands, she beamed and gestured for them to follow her inside. “Yay!” Roberts said. “I love it.”
Roberts said she started volunteering on Election Day years ago because she wanted to be helpful and loves the process. She began her shift at 6 a.m. Tuesday, and her responsibilities would include helping first-time voters register and handing out ballots at the desk. This year, she cast her own at City Hall on the day she completed her required Election Day training.
“I welcome people to come and be an election clerk or work as registrars, because it’s always needed, all over the state,” Roberts, 70, who is retired and lives in Portland. “And once you do that, you realize how careful we are.”
Read more
Updated 6:37 am · November 3, 2026
[
Gillian Graham Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/gillian-graham/)
Election Day rush starts in Buxton
Andrea Hernandez, right, waits for the polls to open with other voters outside the Buxton Town Office on Tuesday morning . (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
BUXTON — The sky was still dark when the first voters of the day started to line up outside the town office.
By the time the doors opened at 6 a.m., more than two dozen people were standing in line. Within minutes, dozens more had arrived. Voters — many on their way to work — said they are ready for the campaign ads that have flooded mailboxes and TV screens to stop.
“Even my children are asking when will this election be over,” Andrea Hernandez, a 37-year-old high school teacher, said.
Related
The numbers behind the political ads driving Mainers crazy
Hernandez was among the first to show up.
“I’m focusing on change,” she said.
Judy Mahoney-Webber, a registered Democrat, was eager to vote so she could get on with her busy day. She said she was casting her ballot for Sen. Susan Collins, whose staff she has worked with through her job.
As election clerks moved people quickly through the line, Charles Tilburg, a Democrat running for state representative, stood under a canopy to greet voters.
“This is one of my favorite days,” he said. “This is America.”
Read more
Updated 6:02 am · November 3, 2026
[
Megan Gray Staff Writer
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle/)[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
First polling places are open
Before the sun rises, Mainers are casting the first ballots of Election Day. Polls generally open between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. across the state.
See an issue today? Let us know. With so much at stake Tuesday, tensions are likely to run high at least somewhere in Maine. We’re reporting on substantive complaints to give Mainers an accurate picture of how voting went down in these key races. Tell us what you see by filling out the form here.
The federal government has said it will send election monitors to Lewiston, Portland and South Portland, worrying some progressive groups given President Donald Trump’s history of false claims about elections.
But Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has urged calm, noting that federal officials will have to abide by state laws prohibiting interference at polling places.
Read more
Updated 3:02 pm · November 2, 2026
[
Kirby Wilson Staff Editor
](https://www.pressherald.com/author/kirby-wilson/)
Take a spin through our free Voter Guide
We reached out to hundreds of candidates and analyzed dozens of local referendums so Mainers would be well-informed about what would appear on their ballots. If you haven’t had a chance, check out our Voter Guide. It’s free.
And if you haven’t gone to vote, just know that there’s still time! If you are in line when polls close at 8 p.m., you will still be allowed to cast a ballot.
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Tagged: 2nd district 2026, election 2026, governor's race 2026, Registration, senate 2026
