With all eyes on Maine, Election Day 2026 goes pretty smoothly
A voter walks toward the counting machines after filling out a ballot Tuesday afternoon at the Augusta Civic Center, the one polling place for Augusta residents. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer)
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.
Maine’s 2026 election season was bitter and contentious, but the process of voting itself appeared to go fairly smoothly.
Turnout was high this year, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said, with hundreds of thousands of voters casting their ballots in a number of pivotal races.
The results of many contests were likely to remain unclear for hours — or days — after polls close. And because Maine uses ranked-choice voting for federal and some local elections, runoffs may be triggered if no candidates receive a majority of the vote. That process could take more than a week.
“I think it’s possible results will take us past midnight,” Bellows told reporters in Lewiston. “We’ll be watching those results carefully to see if any of the big races go to ranked-choice voting.”
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But with election season finally over, many Mainers will breathe a sigh of relief as the constant onslaught of political ads lets up for the first time in over a year.
The races here have been some of the most intensely contested and closely watched in the nation. The outcomes of Maine’s Senate and U.S. House elections may prove crucial in setting Congress’ agenda through the last two years of President Donald Trump’s second term.
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“What we will see today will be a mirror reflection as Mainers and Americans,” said Randy Braby, a 54-year-old voter in Turner.
The eyes of the world turned to Maine as journalists and TV crews from around the globe flocked to polling places across the state. Qatari-based Al Jazeera heard from Bellows in Augusta. Belgian national broadcaster RTBF filmed voters in Portland. Reporters from the Guardian and Daily Mail in England did the same.
AN EXISTENTIAL ELECTION
For many voters, this year’s election was about much more than the names on the ballot. Maine’s races will likely determine which party controls Congress at a pivotal juncture in American history.
The U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson may be especially crucial. Many polls this year have shown the two in a dead heat. One last-minute poll released Sunday showed Jackson leading, but Collins has defied the odds before.
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The race was the biggest draw for many who turned out to vote, intent on playing their part in steering the direction of the nation’s politics.
Democrats came out to reverse the Trump administration’s actions over the last two years. Many liberal voters, like Briana Quinn in South Portland, were hoping for a “blue wave” to sweep Maine and the rest of the country.
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“I am really unhappy with Senator Collins. She has not stood up to the Trump administration and she needs to be held accountable,” said Quinn, 45.
Republicans, however, sought to prevent the Democratic sweep predicted by polls in Maine and across the country. Many were also driven to loosen Democrats’ grip on the Maine Legislature and Blaine House, voting for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles over Democrat Hannah Pingree.
“I needed to come out to vote Republican,” said Allen Veilleuz, 54, in Jay. “At the end of the day this state is in trouble. We need Republican leadership badly, badly, badly.”
POLL WATCHERS
The U.S. Department of Justice sent federal election monitors to Portland, South Portland and Lewiston — a practice that’s been standard for decades, but one that took on added significance this year.
Each of those cities has a sizable immigrant population. For years, Trump has promoted lies about election rigging and widespread voter fraud among noncitizens.
Plainclothes DOJ poll watchers were seen at locations in Portland, South Portland and Lewiston, but did not interrupt voters or obstruct the process. Susan McMillan, election warden at Reiche Elementary School in Portland, said she may not have recognized the poll watchers as federal agents had they not introduced themselves.
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“They stood over by the bleachers for about an hour or so. They asked what kind of training all of the workers here had, and that was really it,” McMillan said.
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In the weeks leading up to the election, fears had percolated on the left that federal resources would be used to sway election results. Analogous concerns bubbled up on the right about electioneering among translators at Maine polling places.
Poll watchers from across the ideological spectrum blanketed the state. The nonpartisan League of Women Voters, the Maine Republican Party, and independent Sen. Angus King’s office all sent watchers to monitor various polling places statewide.
Bellows and local election officials across the state said there were no major issues on Tuesday.
“In fact, what we’re seeing is that things are very calm,” Bellows said.
SPORADIC VANDALISM AND A STUDENT STRIKE
While election processes and outcomes seemed unaffected, tensions ran high in some parts of the state Tuesday.
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Hours before polls opened, the sidewalk outside Collins’ office in Biddeford was vandalized. Bright red paint had been splashed on the curb beneath a message reading “BLOOD ON HER HANDS.”
Biddeford police are investigating the incident, WMTW reported. The same office was previously vandalized in late September.
In Portland, some Deering High School students stayed home over fears related to the school’s status as a polling site.
On Election Day in 2024, Deering was one of many schools sent into lockdown over fake shooting threats. Some students had petitioned for classes to be virtual on Tuesday and stayed home after the administration denied their request.
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Students 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. The school serves a diverse population with students from many immigrant families.
School administrators said a virtual day can only be initiated in light of evidence of a threat. School board officials, city employees and police all said there was little risk to students.
The DOJ poll watchers did visit the site early in the morning with no conflict, according to election officials.
Staff Writers Joe Charpentier, Donna Perry, Ray Routhier, Megan Gray and Riley Board contributed to this story.
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Tagged: 2nd district 2026, election 2026, governor's race 2026, senate 2026
Dylan Tusinski is an investigative reporter with the Maine Trust for Local News' quick strike team, where his stories largely focus on money, drugs and government accountability. He has written about international. More by Dylan Tusinski
