| MAINE | 4 Electoral Votes |
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| Population (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Maine Department of the Secretary of State) Total Resident Population, July 1, 2019 est. 1,344,212 Total Registration, Nov. 2020 > Dem. (%) Rep. (%) Grn. (%) Unenrolled (%) Maine has: 16 counties. Five largest counties: Cumberland, York, Penobscot, Kennebec, Androscoggin.
Government Governor: Janet Mills (D) elected 2018. State Legislature: Maine Legislature House: 151 seats Senate: 35 seats Local: Local Government NACO U.S. House: 2D, 0R - 1. C.Pingree (D) | 2. J.Golden (D). U.S. Senate: Angus King (I) re-elected in 2018, Susan Collins (R) seeking re-election in 2020.
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State of Maine Secretary of State ME Democratic
Party Portland Press
Herald Ballotpedia-ME
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Voter Registration Deadline: "You can register to vote until, and including, Election Day." Anyone registered to vote in Maine can request an absentee ballot and return it to their municipal clerk's office either by mail or in person. Mainers can also vote early at their municipal clerk's office. On Aug. 26 Gov. Mills signed an executive order "to ensure the integrity of the ballot and to protect the public health during the COVID-19 emergency (+)." 514,429 absentee ballots were returned and accepted or 62.1% of total ballots counted. |
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Overview:
Maine adopted a system of awarding electors by
congressional district in 1972. 2016 was the first
time a split occured as Trump carried CD2 (the northern
80% of the state), picking up one
electoral vote; this happened again in 2020. There were several changes in the political landscape since 2016. In 2018 Mainers elected a Demogratic governor, ousting Paul LePage, a strong Trump ally. Also in 2018, under the ranked choice system, voters in CD2 narrowly elected a Democrat to Congress. In 2020, although state Republicans put up a fight, Maine was the first state to use ranked choice voting in a presidential general election (releases; 1, 2, 3). Third parties saw an opening, but it was a difficult year for them nationally as well as in Maine (+). Maine's lobster industry suffered in the wake of Trump's trade war, and this was an issue in the campaign (+). The Biden and Trump camps made a handful of visits and invested in a modest amount of advertising. The big show in town was the Collins-Gideon U.S. Senate race; according to the Center for Responsive Politics, total spending in that race was more than $204 million (>). When the votes were tallied, Biden-Harris won statewide with a plurality of 74,335 votes (9.07 percentage points), carrying nine counties, all along the southern coast to seven for Trump-Pence. The Democratic ticket carried CD1 by 102,331 votes (23.09 percentage points), while Trump-Pence carried CD2 by 27,996 votes (7.44 percentage points) to gain one electoral vote. Trump | Biden || visits || advertising || D, allies | R, allies [MESOS] BALLOTCD1, BALLOTCD2 |
| [State Primary: July 14, 2020] |
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| Democrats
Biden 68,729 (33.94%), Sanders 66,826 (33.00%), Warren 32,055 (15.83%), Bloomberg 24,294 (12.00%)... Total 205,937. details 32 Delegates: 16 District, 5 At-Large, 3 PLEO and 8 Unpledged. |
Republicans Trump 95,360 (83.85%), Blank 18,368 (16.15%). Total: 113,728. |
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| 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 |
| Clinton* 38.76% |
Clinton 51.62% |
Gore 49.09% |
Kerry 53.57% |
Obama 57.71% |
Obama 56.27% |
Clinton** 47.83% |
*In 1992, Perot finished second just ahead
of Bush in Maine. **Clinton won stattewide, but Trump carried
CD-2, thereby earning one electoral vote.
and the details...
and the details...
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| Voting Eligible
Population*: 1,060,905. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 70.5%. Voter Registration Deadline: "You can register to vote until, and including, Election Day." |
Total ballots cast 771,892 includes 23,965 blank.
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Overview:
Maine's electors are chosen by congressional
district. Clinton
achieved a statewide plurality of 22,142 votes (2.97
percentage points), carrying six counties to ten for
Trump. However, Trump campaigned in and
won CD2, a large rural district covering the northern
and western part of the state, thereby
gaining one of the state's four electoral votes.
Trump made four post-primary visits
to the state, while Clinton made none. Gov. Paul LePage (R) was one of very few governors to endorse Trump during the primaries, on Feb. 26, 2016 (although his first choices were Gov. Christie and former Gov. Bush). Sen. Susan Collins (R) stated she would "not be voting for Donald Trump" in an op-ed that ran in The Washington Post on Aug. 8, 2016 (>). Maine was one of eight states where Gary Johnson (L) obtained 5-percent or more of the vote. The pro-Johnson Americans Deserve Better PAC made a bit of a splash with a two-week radio, TV and online ad buy in CD2 in August [PDF]. Closely contested ballot measures helped boost interest the election. Maine had the third highest turnout as a percentage of voting eligilble population after Minnesota and New Hampshire. Clinton | Trump BALLOT [PDF] |
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| Voting Eligible
Population*:
1,036,242. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 70.6%. Voter Registration Deadline: "You can register to vote until, and including, Election Day." |
Total ballots cast 724,758, includes 11,578 blank ballots. |
2012 Overview Obama/Biden gained a plurality of 109,030 votes (15.35 percentage points), winning every county but Piscataquis (the large county in North Central Maine is the state's least populous). Maine's electors are chosen by congressional district, and Maine Republicans talked up the possibility of winning in CD2 (northern and western). However, unlike in 2008 none of Republican principals visited; RNC chair Reince Priebus' Sept. 28 visit to a Victory center in Westbrook may have been the highlight. The Democratic principals were likewise absent. The only visits in the Fall were Green Party nominee Jill Stein's trip on Sept. 1 including CannaFEST and LIbertarian VP nominee Jim Gray's appearance at the University of Southern Maine in Portland on Sept. 21. Stein achieved her best showing at 1.14%. Maine had the fifth highest turnout as a percentage of voting eligilble population (after MN, WI, NH and CO). Obama | Romney BALLOT [PDF] |
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| Voting Eligible Population*: 1,024,699. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 71.4%. Total Registration: 942,825. Dem. 310,950 (32.98%) Rep. 258,147 (27.38%) Grn Ind. 27,354 (2.90%) Unenrolled 346,374 (36.74%) |
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2008 Overview Maine was one of six states where the turnout rate in the presidential election was actually less than in 2004. The Obama-Biden ticket won with a plurality of 126,650 votes (17.33 percentage points). McCain visited Kennebunkport and South Portland on July 21, Sarah Palin rallied in Bangor on Oct. 16, and Todd Palin made several stops on Oct. 11-12. The McCain campaign made a play for the 2nd CD, hoping to pick up one electoral vote, but the margin there was 189,778 votes for Obama (54.61%) to 150,669 votes for McCain (43.35%) and 7,090 for Nader, McKinney and others. Obama/Allies | McCain/Allies | Nader |
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| Voting Eligible Population*:
1,003,792. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 73.8%. Registration: Dem. 319,198 (31.17%) Rep. 287,452 (28.07%) Grn Ind. 24,155 (2.36%) Unenrolled 393,151 (38.40%) ...Total 1,023,956. |
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2004 Overview The Kerry campaign secured a plurality of 66,641 votes (8.99 percentage points). Kerry carried the 1st CD by 55.07% to 43.14% with 1.79% to the other four candidates (211,703 to 165,824 and 6,865). The 2nd CD was somewhat closer 51.95% to 46.13% and 1.92% (185,139 to 164,377 and 6,844). The presence of Mainer Pat LaMarche on the Green Independent ticket did not help its performance significantly. General Election Details Kerry/Allies | Bush/Cheney '04 |
| General Election -- Tuesday,
November 7, 2000 |
| Voting Eligible Population*: 969,292. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 67.2%. Registration: Dem. 297,405 (31.40%) Rep. 278,228 (29.37%) Ref. 3,114 (0.33%) Grn Ind. 8,743 (0.92%) Unenrolled 359,699 (37.98%) ...Total 947,189. |
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2000
Overview In 1992 and 1996, Mainers provided Ross Perot with his strongest showings percentagewise of any state. They have twice elected independent Angus King as governor. While the two House members are Democrats, both Senators are Republicans. About 38% of the electorate are unenrolled voters. In short, Maine's voters tend to be independent-minded. In 2000 they backed Gore with a plurality of 33,335 votes (5.12 percentage points). He carried the 1st CD, which covers Southern Maine up to Augusta, by 50.52% to 42.59% with 5.82% for Nader (176,293 to 148,618 and 20,297). The 2nd CD was closer--indeed right up to Election Night the Bush camp had hopes of gaining one elector--but it did go for Gore 47.43% to 45.56% with 5.56% for Nader (143,658 to 137,998 and 16,830). General Election Activities |
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1992
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1996
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