Elections & Voting
In order for residents to be notified of a Town Meeting or State or Local Election, Public Notices regarding the date, time, and location are posted at least seven (7) days before each Town Meeting or Election.
Notices are posted at the following locations:
- Public Notices Section of this Website
- Easton Town Office
- Easton Post Office
- Country Farms Market
- Easton Elementary School
- Easton Jr./Sr. High School
Residents may also view upcoming elections scheduled on the Community Calendar of Events or sign up for e-mail updates to receive information regarding upcoming Elections.
Annual Town Meeting
The annual election of Members of the Board of Selectmen & School Board Members is held on the first Monday in April of each year at the Easton Town Office. The polls are open from 9 AM to 6:30 PM. At 8 PM, the meeting reconvenes at the Easton Elementary School Cafeteria where residents vote on the articles presented in the warrant in an open town meeting.
State Elections
The State typically holds Elections on the second Tuesday in June and the first Tuesday in November of each year. The Primary Election is held on the second Tuesday of June of each even-numbered year, while the General Election is held on the first Tuesday in November also in each even-numbered year. Referendums may be held at either the June or November election. The polls are open from 8 AM to 8 PM at the Easton Odd Fellows’ Hall/Community Center located at 23 Station Road.
The requirement in 21-A M.R.S. § 339 that the primary election be held on the 2nd Tuesday of June is suspended and modified to provide that the primary election will be held on July 14, 2020, the second Tuesday in July, unless changed by subsequent Order. It is my intention that all statutory deadlines stated in relation to the date of the election, e.g., 60 days before the election, will automatically reset to the new election date of July 14, 2020.
Click here to view the State of Maine Elections Division website.
Forms
- Restrictions on Political Activities on Election Day
- Notes of Procedure – Notice of Warrant
- Political Sign Placement Guidelines
- Poll Watchers Notice
Absentee Voting
An absentee voter is any registered voter who wishes to cast an absentee ballot at an election, and who requests an absentee ballot as provided by law. The absentee voter does not need a reason for voting by absentee ballot. (MRSA Title 21-A, Section 1.1, Section 751)
Absentee ballots are made available at the Town Office at least thirty (30) days before an Election. There are 5 ways to request an absentee ballot:
- Registered voters of Easton may vote absentee in person at the Town Office during the hours of the Town Clerk: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM on Monday, Wednesday & Thursday; 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Tuesday; and 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Friday. An application is not required if the voter votes in person at the Town Office. Residents who are not registered to vote may register to vote during these hours and request an absentee ballot at that time. For more information on how to register to vote, click here.
- Registered voters of Easton may call the Town Clerk at (207) 488-6652 to request an absentee ballot for themselves only. The Town Clerk will complete the application and a ballot will be mailed directly to the voter at the mailing address provided.
- Requests for an absentee ballot for an immediate family member must be made at the Town Office, as these requests need to be made in writing on the application provided.
- Registered voters of Easton may request an absentee ballot by email through the Secretary of State’s website. Click here to request an absentee ballot by email. Once the State-approved form is filled out, the Secretary of State’s office will e-mail the request to the Easton Town Clerk’s Office for processing and the voter will receive the ballot in the mail by the United States Postal Service.
- Registered voters of Easton may fill out and sign an application to request a third party to deliver their ballot to them. The Clerk will give the ballot to the third person named on the application and that person will deliver the ballot to the voter. In this case, when the voter votes, the absentee ballot envelope must be signed by the voter and also signed by two witnesses, or one “special” witness (ie – a notary public, a municipal clerk, or clerk of courts).
Due to a new State law, voters can no longer vote by absentee ballot during the three business days prior to an election, unless the voter signs an application provided by the Secretary of State, stating one of the following reasons for requesting an absentee ballot on that day:
- Unexpected absence from the municipality during the entire time the polls are open on Election Day.
- Unexpected physical disability or an incapacity or illness that has resulted in the voter’s being unable to leave home or a hospital or other treatment facility.
- Inability to travel to the polls if the voter is a resident of a coastal island ward or precinct.
The requirements in 21-A M.R.S. §§ 753-A and 753-B governing absentee ballots are suspended and modified in the following respects only:
1. Applications for absentee ballots may be made in writing or in person up to and including the day of the election, without specifying a reason, in order to permit voters to obtain an absentee ballot and return it before the polls close on July 14, 2020; and
2. Absentee ballot applications furnished more than 3 months before June 9, 2020 remain valid for use in the election on July 14, 2020.
Election Clerks
The Board of Selectmen appoint Election Clerks to assist the Town Clerk with voting activities on Election Day. Members of both major political parties are appointed to ensure there is balance within the process, and appointments last one full election cycle. Title 21-A Section 503 of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated outlines the role and responsibilities of an Election Clerk.
Running for Office
Board of Selectmen & School Board
Registered voters of Easton who would like to run for the Board of Selectmen or School Board must stop by the Town Office during regular business hours after nomination papers have become available for the April Municipal Election.
Typically, nomination papers are available by the beginning of January. Check the Public Notices section of this website during the month of December for an exact date. Candidates will have forty-five (45) days from the date the papers become available in the Town Clerk’s Office to circulate nomination papers for registered voters to sign, stating that they nominate the candidate for Board of Selectmen or School Board. The required number of signatures is no less than 25 or more than 75. Once the required number of signatures has been achieved, the candidate must return the nomination papers to the Town Clerk for certification. If the Town Clerk validates the required number of signatures, the candidate’s name will be printed on the Municipal Ballot for the April Election.
Any questions regarding this process may be directed to the Town Clerk at (207) 488-6652.
State Office
Candidates interested in running for a State Office should visit the State Website of the Secretary of State’s Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions, which includes a Candidate’s Guide, procedures, and forms.