Elections & Voting

Quick Links

Elections & Voting

Quick Links

Welcome to the Elections and Voting page for the Town of Stow—your central resource for all things related to civic participation. Here, you’ll find everything you need to register to vote, locate your polling place, request an absentee ballot, review voting FAQs, and view a complete list of elected officials who represent you at the local, state, and federal levels.

Voting is both a right and a privilege, empowering every eligible resident to have a voice in shaping our community and government. Whether you’re voting in a local town meeting or a national election, this page will help you stay informed and prepared to take part in the democratic process. Your vote matters—make it count!

Stow, Maine Polling Place is the Town Hall: 710 Stow Road, Stow, ME 04037

Polling Hours: 10am – 8pm

Who's on your ballot? Click Here

Upcoming Dates

November 4, 2025

Election Day Information

Ballot Casting Options

Voting FAQs

How to Register to Vote in Maine

In Maine, registering to vote is easy and flexible. You can do it in several ways:

Register Online, at least 21 days before the election.
In Person – You can go to your local town office or city hall and fill out a voter registration card. There is no deadline to register to vote in person, even on Election Day
By Mail – You can download the form, print it, sign it, and either mail or bring it to your town office. The town must keep the signed paper copy. Form must be received at least 21 days before the election.

You can also register at places like the BMV (Motor Vehicle office), most government help agencies, and at voter registration events. Have questions? Contact the town office!

Download the Form

What You Need to Register

To register for the first time, you’ll need to prove your identity and where you live. You can bring:

A Maine driver’s license or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number
A government ID (with or without a photo)
A bill, bank statement, paycheck, or public benefit letter with your name and address
A student ID from a school or college in Maine

Ballot Casting Options in Maine

Maine makes it easy and accessible for all eligible residents to cast their ballot. Voters can choose from several options to suit their needs. Absentee voting is available to anyone—no special reason needed—allowing ballots to be requested and returned by mail, in person, or via secure drop box. In-person early voting lets voters cast their ballots at their town office before Election Day, helping avoid long lines or scheduling conflicts. For voters with disabilities, accessible voting options include assistance at the polls, accessible voting machines, and help from a person of their choice. Maine also supports Uniformed Service and Overseas (UOCAVA) voters, including military members and citizens living abroad, by offering secure absentee ballot options through mail or electronic delivery. No matter your situation, Maine provides a flexible and secure way to vote.

In Maine, any registered voter can vote early using an absentee ballot — you don’t need a reason!

How to Get an Absentee Ballot:

Online: (starting 3 months before the election).

By Phone or In Person: Call or visit your town clerk.

By Mail or Email: Fill out an absentee ballot request form and send it in.

Family or Trusted Person: A family member or trusted person can request or deliver a ballot for you. (Some rules apply if it’s not a family member.)

Deadlines to Remember:

Request your ballot as early as 3 months before the election.

The last day to ask for a ballot is the Thursday before Election Day at 5 p.m.

The Post Office suggests asking for your ballot at least 15 days early and mailing it back at least 7 days before the election.

How to Return Your Ballot:

By Mail: Send it to your town clerk.

In Person: Bring it to your town office.

Do not bring it to the polling place on Election Day.

Special Rules:

If something unexpected happens and you miss the deadline, you can fill out a “Special Circumstances” form to still get a ballot.

Voters 65 or older or those with a disability can join the Ongoing Absentee Voter List. This means you’ll automatically get a ballot every election — no need to ask each time!

Other Notes:

You can track your ballot online to see when it’s been received.

Don’t forget to sign the outside envelope when you send your ballot back!
Early in-person voting is a simple way to vote before Election Day. You just go to your town office (or another location they tell you) and vote there. This is called early voting, and it starts about 30 days before the election. You don’t need to fill out any special form—just show up and vote! It’s a good option if you’ll be busy on Election Day or just want to get it done early. Early voting ends a few days before Election Day, so make sure to go in time.
Maine makes sure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can vote privately and on their own.

On Election Day, every polling place in Maine has a special machine called ExpressVote to help people who need it. It has a touchscreen, keypad, and headphones so voters can choose how they want to use it. The machine prints out your choices on a ballot, which then gets counted like all the others. It’s safe and doesn’t connect to the internet or save any information.

Each polling place also has at least one booth with things like bigger posters, a magnifier, and better lighting to help people see and read everything clearly.

If someone can’t go vote in person or can’t fill out a paper ballot because of a vision, learning, or physical disability, they can ask for an accessible absentee ballot online. They’ll get a secure link and password by email. Then they can fill out the ballot on their computer using tools like a screen reader or keyboard. Once it’s done, they send it back safely by email or another secure method.

These tools are here to make voting easier, fair, and respectful for everyone.
Maine has special rules to help U.S. military members, their families, and American citizens living in other countries vote. These voters are called UOCAVA voters. This includes people in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and some other government services, as well as U.S. citizens who used to live in Maine but now live overseas.

These voters can register and ask for an absentee ballot online, or by using a special form called the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). This form lets them both register and request ballots for all elections over the next 18 months. They can send it by email, fax, or regular mail.

Ballots can be mailed or sent by email (as a file you print at home). Voters must return their ballot by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. The deadline to register or request a ballot is 12:00 p.m. (noon) the day before Election Day.

UOCAVA voters can also track their ballot online and get help by emailing UOCAVA.CEC@maine.gov or calling 1-888-VOTESME.

These special services make sure that military and overseas voters can still take part in elections, no matter where they are.

Frequently Asked Questions

To register and vote in Maine, you need to be a U.S. citizen and live in the town or city where you want to vote. You must be at least 18 years old to vote in most elections. However, you can sign up to vote (pre-register) when you are 16, and if you are 17, you can vote in a primary election if you will turn 18 by the time of the main election. Even if you don't have a traditional home, like if you're experiencing homelessness, you can still register where you currently live.
You have a few ways to sign up to vote in Maine:

Online: You can register using an online service.

In Person: Visit your local town office or city hall and fill out a voter registration card.

By Mail: You can print a Maine voter registration form, fill it out, sign it, and then mail or hand-deliver it to your town or city clerk.

Other Places: You can also register at Motor Vehicle offices, most state and federal social service agencies, or at special voter registration events.

When you register for the first time in Maine, you'll need to show documents that prove who you are and where you live.
Maine makes it easy! There is no deadline for signing up to vote if you do it in person at your town office. This means you can even register on Election Day itself. If you register online, by mail, or through someone else, your form usually needs to be received 21 days before Election Day.
Want to see who will be on your ballot before Election Day? Use the Voter Information Lookup Service! Just enter your home address, and it will show you the candidates who will appear on your ballot, plus a sample ballot you can look at. It's a great way to get ready to vote!
The polling place for all residents of Stow is at the Town Office.

710 Stow Road
Stow, ME 04037
No, you don't have to go to the polls on Election Day. Maine offers absentee voting, which means any registered voter can vote by mail without needing a special reason. You can also vote early in person at your town clerk's office. This usually starts about 30 days before the election and ends three business days before Election Day.
You have several ways to ask for an absentee ballot:

Online: You can request one through a special website.

By Phone or In Person: You can call or visit your town clerk's office.

Written Request: You can fill out an absentee ballot application and mail, fax, or email it to your town or city clerk.

Family Member: An immediate family member can also get a ballot for you with a written request.

Designated Person: In special cases, you can ask someone else (a "third person") to get and deliver your ballot, but this requires a written request and witnesses.
You can start asking for an absentee ballot about three months (90 days) before Election Day. The general deadline to ask for a ballot or vote early in person at the clerk's office is 5 p.m. on the Thursday before the election. If you're mailing your ballot, the U.S. Postal Service suggests sending it back at least 7 days before Election Day. Special situations, like a sudden illness, might allow you to request a ballot after the main deadline.
Once you've voted, you need to return your absentee ballot to your municipal clerk. You can do this by mail, by dropping it off in person. Make sure it arrives by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Imagine you're picking your favorite ice cream flavors, but instead of just one, you can list them in order: 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, and so on. Ranked-Choice Voting works a lot like that for elections! Instead of picking just one candidate, you get to rank them from your most favorite to your least favorite.

Why does it work?

This system is used in Maine for some elections, like state primary elections and federal elections if there are more than two candidates running. Here's why it's used:

If no candidate gets more than half of the votes right away, the person with the fewest votes is removed. Then, the votes from those who picked that person as their first choice are given to their second choice, if that candidate is still in the race. This process keeps going until one candidate gets more than half of all the votes, making sure the winner has support from a wider group of people.

It helps make sure the winner is someone many voters like, not just someone who got the most votes when there were many choices. Plus, Maine's voting system, including RCV, is very secure because it's not connected to the internet, and we use paper ballots that can always be checked.
A provisional, or "challenged," ballot is a ballot you cast when there's a question about whether you're eligible to vote on Election Day. Even if your eligibility is questioned, you must be allowed to vote this type of ballot. These ballots are counted just like regular ballots at first. The decision about whether your challenged ballot truly counts only happens later, and only if the election is very close and your ballot could change who wins.
If you need help reading or marking your ballot, you can ask a relative or a friend to help you. An election official can also help you. However, your employer or a union official is not allowed to help you mark your ballot. Maine also has special voting machines called ExpressVote at every polling place that help people with disabilities vote privately and on their own, using a touchscreen, keypad, or audio. You can also get an accessible electronic ballot if you vote absentee.
If you have a question or want to make a complaint about how elections are run in Maine, you should first contact the clerk or registrar of voters in your town or city. Many issues can be fixed at this local level. If you can't get help there, or for bigger problems, you can contact the Elections Division of the Secretary of State's Office by email at cec.elections@maine.gov or by calling 207-624-7650. There's also a special form you can fill out for certain types of complaints.
To be a poll worker in Maine, you need to be registered to vote in Maine and be at least 18 years old. However, students who are 17 or older can sometimes work at the polls as student election clerks for specific elections. Poll workers also usually need to attend training every two years. You can contact your local election office to sign up.
Looking for even more details about voting in Maine? The official Maine Elections & Voting landing page is your go-to source! You can visit the Maine.gov website for comprehensive information directly from the Secretary of State's office, including upcoming elections, results, and all the official forms and guides.