It’s primary day. Here’s what Maine voters need to know.

Mainers will choose Democratic and Republican nominees for governor, U.S. Congress and dozens of legislative seats on Tuesday.

Several of these primary decisions will determine the matchups for November races that could be consequential for the balance of power of both state and federal government, including whether Democrats continue their eight-year trifecta in Maine and whether they can finally oust long-time Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. 

Maine Morning Star has a voter guide with everything you need to know, including where the candidates stand on key issues and voting logistics. 

Maine has semi-open primaries, meaning unenrolled voters can also weigh in on one of the two major party primaries. The state also has same-day voter registration. 

Election Day is tomorrow. Some results likely won’t be known until next week.

It’s likely that the outcome of several high-profile primaries won’t be known for days or weeks because ranked-choice runoffs are expected in several races where three or more candidates are vying for their party’s nomination. More on that process here. 

Find your polling place

The Maine.gov website offers a voter information lookup feature to find polling places and a sample ballot. 

Enter your home address to search for your unique information. Polls open between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. You can find specific hours for your location on the Maine Department of the Secretary of State website.

Not too late to register

If you haven’t registered to vote, it’s not too late. You can register at your city hall, town office or polling place. You’ll need an ID and proof of residency, such as a utility bill.

People who are unhoused may register to vote, even if they don’t have a traditional address. Instead of residency documentation, they can provide a physical description of their residence to their municipal clerk under oath.

If you’ve already voted, you can track the process of your ballot here.  

Who’s on the ballot?

State

There are packed races on both sides of the aisle to replace outgoing Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who served two terms as Maine’s first woman elected to that position. To differentiate the field, Maine Morning Star spoke with supporters of each of the GOP candidates and each of the Democratic candidates to highlight what they believe sets their pick apart from the rest. 

Vying for the Democratic nomination are Shenna Bellows (the current Secretary of State), Troy Jackson (former president of the Maine Senate), Angus King III (renewable energy business leader and son of independent U.S. Sen. Angus King), Hannah Pingree (former head of Mills’ Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and daughter of Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree) and Nirav Shah (former head of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention).

On the Republican side, there is Bobby Charles (an attorney and former federal government official), Jonathan Bush (a health technology entrepreneur who is the nephew of the late President George H.W. Bush), David Jones (a real estate broker and businessman), Garrett Mason (former Maine Senate majority leader), Owen McCarthy (a health industry entrepreneur and University of Maine trustee), Ben Midgley (former president of Planet Fitness), and Robert Wessels (a small business owner). 

Several of the 20 contested Republican primaries for the Maine Legislature are in swing districts that’ll be consequential for whether Democrats hold onto their slim majorities in the general election. While the eleven contested Democratic legislative primaries are mostly for seats expected to remain blue, they offer a test of the type of candidate Mainers want to see lead the party. Find the full list of legislative primaries here. 

Federal

Since Mills suspended her U.S. Senate campaign in late April, Graham Platner has been viewed as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for that seat. However, amid the latest controversies involving the political newcomer, Mills has reminded voters she’s still on the ballot. There are also two lesser-known Democrats competing against Platner: David Costello and declared write-in Andrea LaFlamme. 

Several Democrats are competing to replace outgoing Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District: Joseph Baldacci (a state senator), Matthew Dunlap (state auditor), Paige Loud (a social worker), and Jordan Wood (who worked in Washington D.C. for about a decade, including as vice president of End Citizens United PAC). Whoever wins will run against former Republican Gov. Paul LePage in the general election. 

There are two candidates vying for the GOP nod to go up against Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree in the 1st District. They are Joshua Pietrowicz (who works in sales) and Ron Russell (a retired Army colonel).