WASHINGTON (AP) — Maine voters will decide a pair of high-profile ballot measures addressing elections and gun violence in a statewide referendum election next week.
Question 1 would make several changes to the state’s voting procedures, most notably requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls. Question 2 would implement a gun control measure known as a “red flag” law similar to ones in place in 21 states.
The measures represent the latest efforts to put the two hot-button national issues directly before voters on state ballots. The election is Nov. 4.
Question 1 was placed on the ballot with support from The Dinner Table, a conservative political action committee. President Donald Trump and Republicans at the national and state levels have sought to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, including requiring voters to show ID to vote.
The responsibility to draft the wording of the ballot question fell to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, subject to feedback from the public. Bellows, a Democrat, generally opposes adding new restrictions on voting.
The final ballot wording as written by Bellows’ office is: “Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?”
Republican backers of the measure challenged Bellows’ wording in court, arguing that it was confusing and misleading, but a July decision by the Maine Supreme Court upheld the ballot question as written by the Secretary of State.
Question 2, the “red flag” law proposal, would allow both law enforcement officers and an individual’s family members to ask a court to temporarily block a person from possessing firearms or “dangerous weapons” if they can demonstrate that the person poses a “significant danger” to themself or others. The proposed law would build upon on Maine’s current “yellow flag” law, which only allows law enforcement officers to petition the courts.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills opposes Question 2, saying the process of petitioning the courts is best left to law enforcement.
The debate over “red flag” and “yellow flag” laws gained new urgency in October 2023 after a U.S. Army reservist killed 18 people in a Lewiston, Maine, bowling alley and bar in the state’s deadliest mass shooting.
Statewide votes on election and gun control measures across the country tend to fall along partisan lines. In Maine, the Democratic governor’s opposition to Question 2 could scramble traditional voting patterns.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris won statewide in Maine in 2024 with about 52% of the vote, compared to about 46% for Trump. Her support mostly came from the heavily Democratic areas along the Southern Maine Coast, which forms the heart of the state’s Democratic base. This includes the most populous counties of Cumberland, home to Portland, and York.
Trump prevailed in the less populous areas that make up the bulk of the state geographically. He carried the state’s 2nd Congressional District with about 54% of the vote, earning one of Maine’s four electoral votes.
Although Maine is divided into 16 counties, elections are conducted at the city and town level, a practice common in New England.
The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Maine does not have automatic recounts, but voters can request one for a statewide ballot question by getting at least 200 registered voters to sign a petition within eight business days after the election. The state will pay for the recount if the margin between the yes and no votes is 1% or less of the total votes cast, or not more than 1,000 votes, whichever is less. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
Here’s a look at what to expect on Nov. 4:
How late will polls be open?
Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.
What’s on the ballot?
The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in the two statewide ballot measures, Questions 1 and 2.
Who gets to vote?
Any voter registered in Maine may participate in the election.
What do turnout and advance vote look like?
As of Feb. 6, there were more than 1 million registered voters in Maine. Of those, 34% were Democrats, about 30% were Republicans and another 30% were not enrolled with any party. The remainder were registered with other parties.
More than 410,000 ballots were cast in the 2023 referendum election, roughly 36% of registered voters. About 26% of votes in that election were cast before Election Day.
As of Friday, nearly 56,000 ballots had been cast before Election Day, about 50% from Democrats, 23% from Republicans and about 25% from voters not affiliated with any party. See the AP Early Vote Tracker for the latest update.
How long does vote counting usually take?
In the 2023 referendum election, the AP first reported results for Question 3, which had the most votes cast, at 8:15 p.m. ET, or 15 minutes after polls closed. The vote tabulation ended for the night at 3:21 a.m. ET with about 91% of total votes counted.
Are we there yet?
As of Nov. 4, there will be 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2025 election at https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2025/
