Maine voters are headed to the polls Tuesday to weigh in on a pair of statewide referendum questions and, in some communities, to decide local races and referendums.

Voters across Maine will consider Question 1, which would require photo identification at the polls, limit the number and location of ballot drop boxes, and make several changes to absentee voting, including an end to ongoing absentee voting and requesting absentee ballots by phone.

Question 2 on the statewide ballot asks voters if they want to approve a so-called red flag law, which would make it easier to confiscate firearms from a person in crisis by allowing family members, not just law enforcement, to petition a judge for a temporary removal order. It would also eliminate the requirement for a mental health evaluation, as is required in Maine’s current yellow flag law.

Voters in some communities will consider local referendum questions and elect candidates to municipal office. In Portland, for example, voters are considering a proposal to raise the minimum wage, while in Scarborough, residents are voting on a $130 million school infrastructure project.

Turnout is expected to be relatively low because it’s an off-year election with no major statewide or national candidate races on the ballot. But requests for and returned absentee ballots are still outpacing the last off-year election. More than 121,000 voters had requested absentee ballots, and nearly 77,000 had returned them by Oct. 28. Maine has about 1 million active registered voters.

Follow along for live updates from our reporters on the ground at polling places, campaign headquarters and election watch parties throughout Election Day.

Want more information, like what each referendum question means, who’s on your ballot and news from your city or town? Check out our Election 2025 hub.

6:40 a.m.: A busy start in Buxton

With nearly 10 minutes to go before polls in Buxton opened, a dozen residents crowded inside the town hall doors, eager to cast their ballots.

As the clock hit 6 a.m. and poll workers started handing out ballots, a steady stream of cars pulled into the parking lot, their headlights cutting through the pre-dawn darkness.

In Buxton, one of the first towns in the state to open on Election Day, an early rush is never a surprise.

June Curtis stopped by on her way to work as an instructor and was one of the first residents to feed their ballot into the counting machine. She never misses an election.

“I think right now voting is more important than ever before,” she said.

Glen O’Donnell, a 62-year-old construction manager, was finished voting by 6:03 a.m. He always votes and said he was especially motivated this year to weigh in on the state referendum questions.

“I believe in the election system,” he said. “If we don’t have something we like, we have have to vote change it.”

Town Clerk John Myers said more than 900 of Buxton’s 6,400 registered voters cast absentee ballots. He expected double that number to show up at the polls on Tuesday, even though they’re only voting on the statewide referendums.

“It shows people understand the importance of the topics on the ballot and have an opinion,” he said.

— Gillian Graham, staff writer

6 a.m.: Polls open in some communities

Polling places across Maine are beginning to open.

The earliest Election Day voters are cast in communities like Buxton and Kennebunk that open polling places at 6 a.m. Many communities, including Portland and Biddeford, open at 7 a.m.

Towns with 500 residents or more are required to open polling locations by 8 a.m., while towns with fewer than 500 people don’t have to start until 10 a.m.

All voting places close at 8 p.m. Any voters waiting in line when the polls close are still able to cast their ballots and should stay in line.

People who are unsure of their voting location can find it through the Maine Voter Information Lookup Service.

— Gillian Graham, staff writer