Elections
Effective January 1, 2024 Maine will be transitioning from a closed primary system to a semi-open primary. Unenrolled voters will now be able to participate in primaries including the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary and the June 11, 2024 State Primary.
- Unenrolled voters - Voters who are not enrolled in a party may choose to vote in one party’s primary.
- Voters enrolled in a party - May only vote in that party’s primary.
Each qualified party had until October 1, 2023 to file a certification with the Secretary of State to participate in the Presidential Primary. The Democratic and Republican parties are the only parties that will hold primaries on March 5th. The Green Independent and Libertarian parties will not be participating. The chart below illustrates the ballot options for the Presidential Primary based on voter enrollment:
|
Voter Enrollment Status
|
Ballot Options |
| Unenrolled | May select either a Democratic or Republican ballot |
| Democratic | No ballot selection - must receive Democratic ballot |
| Green Independent | No ballot selection - Party not participating in Primary |
| Libertarian | No ballot selection - Party not participating in Primary |
| Republican | No ballot selection - must receive Republican ballot |
| No Labels (qualifying party) | No ballot selection (qualifying party). If No Labels becomes “qualified” in January, the party will still not be participating in primary |
- Absentee ballots for the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary should be available around February 7, 2024.
- If you request an absentee ballot online through Maine’s Absentee Ballot Request service, your request will be rejected under Maine law if you are not enrolled in a party and did not select a party primary to participate in or there is no primary ballot for the party in which the voter is enrolled.
- February 16, 2024 is the last day to withdraw or change enrollment in time for the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary. Voters changing their enrollment after this date will be within the 15-day pending period and ineligible to vote in a Primary Election. §144(2); §145(3)