Maine voters have until Aug. 25 to enter the November ballot as write-in candidates

Maine residents who want to enter the Nov. 3, 2026, general election as declared write-in candidates have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, to file a Declaration of Write-In Candidacy with the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections.

The deadline is 70 days before the election. It is separate from the July 27 deadline for replacement candidates. Filing the declaration does not by itself guarantee that a person will qualify: The candidate must meet all qualifications for the office and receive at least one valid write-in vote in the general election.

Who can file

A declared write-in candidate’s name will not be printed on the ballot. Maine law requires the candidate to file the declaration by the deadline and meet the other qualifications for the office sought.

Those qualifications vary by office and can include age, citizenship, residency and district requirements. The state’s 2026 Candidate’s Guide to Ballot Access also says a person generally may be a candidate for only one federal, state or county office in an election.

Prospective candidates should identify the office they seek when contacting the Elections Division. The Secretary of State’s office directs interested candidates to email cec.elections@maine.gov or call 207-624-7650.

How to file

The Elections Division says interested candidates must contact the division directly to request or submit the Declaration of Write-In Candidacy and should include the office they want to seek. The filing deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026.

Anyone considering a write-in campaign should contact election officials promptly, confirm which form and office requirements apply, and verify that the filing has been received before the deadline. Under Maine law, a declared write-in candidate must meet the qualifications for the office; the state guide also defines a write-in candidate as someone who receives one or more valid write-in votes.

How a write-in vote counts

On Election Day, voters must mark the write-in oval and write the candidate’s name in the designated blank space for that office. Stickers cannot be used to cast a write-in vote.

For the general election, a candidate needs at least one valid write-in vote. That one-vote threshold is different from the higher vote requirements for write-in nominations in a primary election.

In a general election, the candidate with the most votes is elected in contests decided by plurality. In a ranked-choice contest, the candidate who receives the most votes in the final round is elected.

When ranked-choice voting applies

Ranked-choice voting may apply to the November U.S. Senate and U.S. House contests. Those races use ranked-choice voting if three or more candidates qualify for the office, or if two printed candidates qualify and there is a declared write-in candidate in the race.

In a ranked-choice contest, voters rank candidates rather than selecting only one. Municipal officials count the first-choice selections on election night. If no candidate has more than 50% of the first-choice votes, the ballots or electronic vote records are sent for central tabulation through additional rounds until a candidate wins under the ranked-choice rules.

The ranked-choice rules do not apply to every Maine race. The November governor, Maine Senate and Maine House contests will be decided by plurality, regardless of how many candidates qualify.

What happens next

The Aug. 25 deadline is the statutory filing date for declared write-in candidates in the Nov. 3 general election. Residents interested in running should contact the Maine Division of Elections with the office they want to seek and complete the required declaration before 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Sources

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