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By Connie Garber
Early in-person voting began Monday in advance of the June 9 primary. Republican and Democratic candidates for several offices are vying for their parties’ selection:
- Maine House of Representatives (Districts 141, 142 & 143)
- Maine Senate (District 33)
- Governor
- US House of Representatives (District 1)
- US Senate
These races will be decided with ranked choice voting (RCV), which means voters can state their first, second and third choices (or more, in a crowded field). This allows for an “instant runoff” if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote.
In York County, there are uncontested races for county treasurer and district attorney.
There have been some changes to Maine’s primary elections, with the Maine Secretary of State explaining it is now a “semi-open” primary: Maine law allows Unenrolled registered voters – those who have chosen not to enroll in a party – to select a party primary to vote in without enrolling in that party. There are limitations: Unenrolled voters may only vote in one party’s primary. And voters who are enrolled in a party may vote only on that party’s primary ballot. Qualified parties for Maine elections are: Democratic, Green Independent, Libertarian, and Republican.
Enrolled voters do not have the option to select another party’s ballot unless they change enrollment at least 15 days prior to the primary (May 26 for June 9 primary election). When a voter enrolls in a new party, they may not change their party enrollment again for three months unless they move to a new town or city and establish a new voting residence there. (More information is available on the city’s website at Upcoming Election Information.)
The other important vote in Sanford is the school budget validation, an opportunity to vote on the proposed budget for the upcoming year. Documents explaining the budget proposal are available online on the School Department’s website, sanford.org.
Sample-Budget Amt.pdf – sample ballot & 1 page budget summary
FY2027-Budget—City-Council-26-03-03.pdf
FY2027 Budget School Committee – 26-03-23
There are three main ways to vote.
- In person at Sanford High School on June 9 between 7 am and 8 pm.
- In person at the City Clerk’s office from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Thursday. (City offices are closed on Fridays.)
- By absentee ballot. More information is available from the Secretary of State’s office, State of Maine Online Absentee Ballot Request & Tracking Service.
The post Voting Has Begun: More on Primary, School Ballots appeared first on Sanford Springvale News.
