Upcoming Election Information:
June 11, 2024 - State Primary Election
Primary Elections determine each qualified party’s nomination of candidates for federal offices and State and County offices. Party candidates who are elected at the Primary qualify to appear on the November General Election ballot.
November 5, 2024 - Presidential General Election
The General Election is held nationally on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November.
LOCAL VOTING
May 31, 2024 8:00am to 8:00 pm Election of Officers.
June 1, 2024 Annual Town Meeting 9:00am
June 11, 2024 MSAD #58 Referendum Voting
June 11, 2024, Contract Zoning Application Voting
VOTING
How do I register to vote?
Kingfield residents, Salem residents and Freeman Township may register to vote at the Town Clerk’s Office in the Town Hall. On election day, you may register at the polls with proper identification.
Where do I vote?
Voting is located in Webster Hall, 38 School Street. (This building adjoins the Town Office).
Town Meetings are held at the Kingfield Elementary School on Salem Street the 1st Saturday in June.
I will be out of town on Election Day, how do I vote?
Absentee voting begins one month prior to an election.
An absentee voter is any registered voter who requests an absentee ballot prior to Election Day. The voter does not have to have a reason for voting by absentee ballot. Absentee ballots are available approximately 30 days prior to the election.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot before any given election is 3 business days prior to Election Day by close of business.
There are 5 ways to request an absentee ballot:
1) In-Person: at the Town Clerk’s Office during the hours of the Town Clerk: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. An application is not required if the voter votes in person.
2) Telephone Request: voters may call the Town Clerk at (207) 265-4637 to request an absentee ballot for themselves only. The Town Clerk will fill out an application for the voter and a ballot will be mailed directly to the voter.
3) Immediate Family: requests for an absentee ballot for an immediate family member must be made at the Town Clerk’s office, as these requests need to be made in writing on the application provided.
4) Electronically: registered voters may request an absentee ballot electronically through the Secretary of State’s website. The Town Clerk checks this website once per day and processes requests accordingly. The voter will receive the ballot in the mail.
5) 3rd Party: registered voters may fill out and sign an application to request a 3rd party to deliver their ballot to them. The Town Clerk will give the ballot to the 3rd person named on the application and that person will deliver the ballot to the voter. In this case, when the voter votes, the absentee ballot envelope must be signed by the voter and also signed by two witnesses, or one “special” witness (ie – a notary public, a municipal clerk, or clerk of courts).
ABSENTEE BALLOTS :
How to request an absentee ballot:
In Maine, a registered voter may vote by absentee ballot for any reason. There are several options:
Call the Town Office at 265-4637 and we will mail an absentee ballot to you.
Come in to the Town Office. You can vote in person at the Town Office or you can take a ballot with you and return it in person or by mail or by an immediate family member.
An immediate family member can pick up an absentee ballot at the Town Office for you. (we will walk you through the steps)
The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot, except in certain emergency situations is by 4:30pm the Thursday before elections.
Voted absentee ballots must be received by the Municipal Clerk by close of polls which is 8:00 p.m.
New Party Affiliations:
Party affiliations (and no this is not going out to have a good time) this is how you identify yourself for voting and other means which is usually determined by the political party you as an individual most commonly support.
Since as far back as any of us can remember there has always been the Republicans and Democrats and when you filled out that voter registration card you could be Independent or Unenrolled. Well, the Independents became a recognized party known as the Green Independent Party and Unenrolled stayed just that unenrolled – whereas you have not picked a party affiliation. Yes, a few years ago (2018) the Libertarian Party came into play however they failed to enroll enough voters and the party affiliation was disqualified.
As of December 2020 there were TWO new parties that filed the necessary paperwork to start the process of forming new affiliations. These parties (like any others before them) must enroll 5,000 or more voters by a certain deadline. The deadline for these two new parties is by January 2, 2022 in order to remain qualified.
Drum roll…. The two new parties are called the People’s Party and you guessed it the Libertarian Party.
From here you must do your own homework and if you are interested in one of these new parties you must fill out a NEW voter registration card. You would check the box next to “Other qualifying party:” and WRITE in the name of the party you have chosen.
Remember you must remain in that party for three (3) months before you can withdraw or make any changes. And you must serve a 15-day waiting period before voting in any primary or caucus.
Descriptions of Elections (taken from Maine Elections Division)
Description of the State Primary Election
Primary Elections determine each qualified party’s nomination of candidates for federal offices (other than President) and qualified State and County offices. Party candidates who are elected at the Primary qualify to appear on the November General Election ballot.
Offices included in the 2020 Primary Election are United States Senator, Representative to Congress (both districts), all 35 State Senate districts, all 151 State Representative districts, and the following county offices, which vary depending on the county: Judge of Probate, Register of Probate, County Treasurer, Register of Deeds, Sheriff, District Attorney and County Commissioner.
In order to qualify for the Primary Election ballot, party candidates must gather a specified number of signatures on primary nomination petitions between January 1, 2020 and March 16, 2020 and had to submit these petitions to the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections by 5:00 p.m. on March 16, 2020.
Nonparty candidates gain access directly to the General Election ballot by gathering a specified number of signatures on nonparty nomination petitions between January 1, 2020 and July 1, 2020 and must submit these petitions to the Division of Elections by 5:00 pm on July 1, 2020.
Please see the Candidate web page for more information.
Description of the General Election
The General Election is held nationally on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. In 2020, Maine voters will select their choice for President/Vice President (this process is called the “popular vote”), and elect one of Maine’s two United States Senators, Maine’s Representatives to Congress, members of the Maine Legislature, and certain county officers.
Each party’s nomination for President/Vice President of the United States, party candidates who are nominated as a result of the June Primary Election, and unenrolled candidates will appear on the General Election ballot.
The actual election of President/Vice President occurs through the Electoral College. The “popular vote” is used to choose Maine’s 4 “electors”, who convene at what is called the “Electoral College” at the State House in December to cast their “electoral votes.”
Description of the Referendum Election
Referendum Elections are held to provide Maine’s citizens an opportunity to vote on People’s Veto Referenda, Direct Initiatives of Legislation (i.e. Citizen Initiatives), Bond Issues, other referenda proposed by the Legislature, and Constitutional Amendments. Referendum elections are an important part of the heritage of public participation in Maine.
