MAINE

4 Electoral Votes

Population  (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Maine Department of the Secretary of State) Total Resident Population, July 1, 2016 est.                        1,331,479 Total Registration, Nov. 2016                                                1,058,444 (active) > Dem. 338,352 (31.97%)   Rep. 285,320 (26.96%)   Grn Ind. 44,569 (4.21%)   Lib. 5,616 (0.53%)   Unenrolled 384,587 (36.34%) Maine has: 16 counties. Five largest counties: Cumberland, York, Penobscot, Kennebec, Androscoggin.  Government Governor: Paul LePage (R) elected 2010, re-elected 2014. State Legislature: Maine Legislature   House: 151 seats   Senate: 35 seats Local: Local Government   NACO U.S. House: 1D, 1R - 1. C.Pingree (D) | 2. B.Poliquin (R). U.S. Senate: Angus King (I) elected in 2012, Susan Collins (R) re-elected in 2014. 2016 U.S. House: In CD-2 (the northern 80% of the state), Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R) won a rematch with Emily Cain (D) by 192,878 votes (54.77%) to 159,081 (45.17%) and 224 for a w/in candidate.  In CD-1 Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) won another term, defeating Mark Holbrook (R) by 227,546 votes (57.99%) to 164,569 (41.94%) and 276 for a w/in. State Legislature: In the House, where all 151 seats were up, Democrats kept their majority, going from 78D, 69R, 3I and 1un to 77D, 72R and 2I.  In the Senate, where all 35 seats were up, Republicans kept their majority, going from 20R, 15D to 18R, 17D. Ballot Measures: Maine voters decided six ballot measures, approving five of them.  SOS. Question 1 to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana (yes | no) approved by 381,768 votes (50.26%) to 377,773 (49.74%).  This was the closest of the ballot questions; opponents started a recount effort but ended it mid- Dec. Question 2 to establish a 3% tax on those with household income over $200,000 to go to education (yes | no) approved by 383,428 votes (50.63%) to 373,848 (49.37%). Question 3 to require background checks for gun sales and transfers (yes | no) defeated by 394,157 votes (51.80%) to 366,770 (48.20%). Question 4 to increase the minimum wage to $12 (yes | no) approved by 420,892 votes (55.50%) to 337,486 (44.50%). Question 5 to establish a statewide system of ranked choice voting (yes | no) approved by 388,273 votes (52.12%) to 356,621 (47.88%), making Maine the first state to adopt the system if it survives legal challenges. In addition to the citizen initiated referendums at stake, voters approved Question 6, a bond measure, by a wide margin.

State of Maine Secretary of State Green Indep. Party of ME Libertarian Party of ME ME Democratic Party ME Republican Party Constitution Party of ME Portland Press Herald Bangor Daily News Newspapers TV, Radio Pine Tree Politics Dirigo Blue Politics1-ME Ballotpedia-ME The Pine Tree State Note. Maine Statutes, Title 21A § 802 states, "One presidential elector shall be chosen for each congressional district and 2 at large."

General Election -- Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,060,905. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 70.5%. Voter Registration Deadline: "You can register to vote until, and including, Election Day."

Official Results >   Clinton/Kaine (Dem.) 357,735 (47.83) Johnson/Weld (Lib.) 38,105 (5.09) Stein/Baraka (Grn.Ind.) 14,251 (1.91) Trump/Pence (Rep.) 335,593 (44.86) w/ins (4) 2,243 Total........747,927 Write-ins: Darrell Castle 333, Cherunda Fox 7, Laurence Kotllikoff 16 and Evan McMullin 1,887 Total ballots cast 771,892 includes 23,965 blank.

Overview: Maine's electors are chosen by congressional district.  Clinton achieved a statewide plurality of 22,142 votes (2.97 percentage points), carrying six counties to ten for Trump.  However, Trump campaigned in and won CD2, a large rural district covering the northern and western part of the state, thereby gaining one of the state's four electoral votes.  Trump made four post-primary visits to the state, while Clinton made none.    Gov. Paul LePage (R) was one of very few governors to endorse Trump during the primaries, on Feb. 26, 2016 (although his first choices were Gov. Christie and former Gov. Bush).  Sen. Susan Collins (R) stated she would "not be voting for Donald Trump" in an op-ed that ran in The Washington Post on Aug. 8, 2016 (>).     Maine was one of eight states where Gary Johnson (L) obtained 5-percent or more of the vote.  The pro-Johnson Americans Deserve Better PAC made a bit of a splash with a two-week radio, TV and online ad buy in CD2 in August [PDF].    Closely contested ballot measures helped boost interest the election.  Maine had the third highest turnout as a percentage of voting eligilble population after Minnesota and New Hampshire. Clinton  |  Trump BALLOT [PDF]

[State Primary: June 14, 2016]

Republican Municipal Caucuses -- Saturday, March 5, 2016  Democratic Municipal Caucuses -- Sunday, March 6, 2016

Democrats  30 Delegates: 17 District, 5 At-Large, 3 PLEO and 5 Unpledged. details

Republicans  23 Delegates: 3 RNC; 14 At-Large; 6 by CD (3 x 2 CDs). details

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General Election Winners in Maine, 1992-2012

1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012
Clinton* 38.76%	Clinton 51.62%	Gore 49.09%	Kerry 53.57%	Obama 57.71%	Obama 56.27%

General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,036,242. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 70.6%. Voter Registration Deadline: "You can register to vote until, and including, Election Day."

Official Results >   Johnson/Gray (Lib.) 9,352 (1.31) Obama/Biden (Dem.) 401,306 (56.27) Romney/Ryan (Rep.) 292,276 (40.92) Stein/Honkala (Grn.) 8,119 (1.14) write-ins 2,127 (0.30) Total........713,180 Write-ins: Rocky Anderson (Just.) 62, Ron Paul (Rep.) 2,035, and Jill Ann Reed (Unaff.) 30. Total ballots cast 724,758, includes 11,578 blank ballots.

2012 Overview Obama/Biden gained a plurality of 109,030 votes (15.35 percentage points), winning every county but Piscataquis (the large county in North Central Maine is the state's least populous). Maine's electors are chosen by congressional district, and Maine Republicans talked up the possibility of winning in CD2 (northern and western).  However, unlike in 2008 none of Republican principals visited; RNC chair Reince Priebus' Sept. 28 visit to a Victory center in Westbrook may have been the highlight.  The Democratic principals were likewise absent.  The only visits in the Fall were Green Party nominee Jill Stein's trip on Sept. 1 including CannaFEST and LIbertarian VP nominee Jim Gray's appearance at the University of Southern Maine in Portland on Sept. 21.  Stein achieved her best showing at 1.14%.  Maine had the fifth highest turnout as a percentage of voting eligilble population (after MN, WI, NH and CO). Obama  |  Romney BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,024,699. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 71.4%. Total Registration: 942,825. Dem. 310,950 (32.98%)   Rep. 258,147 (27.38%)   Grn Ind. 27,354 (2.90%)   Unenrolled 346,374 (36.74%)

Official Results > McCain/Palin (Rep.) 295,273 (40.38) McKinney/Clemente (GrnInd.) 2,900 (0.40) Nader/Gonzalez (Ind.) 10,636 (1.45) +Obama/Biden (Dem.) 421,923 (57.71) Others 431 (0.05) Total........731,163 Total votes cast: 744,456

2008 Overview Maine was one of six states where the turnout rate in the presidential election was actually less than in 2004.  The Obama-Biden ticket won with a plurality of 126,650 votes (17.33 percentage points).  McCain visited Kennebunkport and South Portland on July 21, Sarah Palin rallied in Bangor on Oct. 16, and Todd Palin made several stops on Oct. 11-12.  The McCain campaign made a play for the 2nd CD, hoping to pick up one electoral vote, but the margin there was 189,778 votes for Obama (54.61%) to 150,669 votes for McCain (43.35%) and 7,090 for Nader, McKinney and others.  Obama/Allies  |  McCain/Allies  |  Nader

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,003,792. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 73.8%. Registration: Dem. 319,198 (31.17%)   Rep. 287,452 (28.07%)   Grn Ind. 24,155 (2.36%)   Unenrolled 393,151 (38.40%)   ...Total 1,023,956.

Official Results Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.) 1,965 (0.27) Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 330,201 (44.58) Cobb/LaMarche (Grn.Indep.) 2,936 (0.40) +Kerry/Edwards (Dem.) 396,842 (53.57) Nader/Camejo (The Better Life) 8,069 (1.09) Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.) 735 (0.10) Others 4 -  Total........740,752

2004 Overview The Kerry campaign secured a plurality of 66,641 votes (8.99 percentage points).  Kerry carried the 1st CD by 55.07% to 43.14% with 1.79% to the other four candidates (211,703 to 165,824 and 6,865).  The 2nd CD was somewhat closer 51.95% to 46.13% and 1.92% (185,139 to 164,377 and 6,844).  The presence of Mainer Pat LaMarche on the Green Independent ticket did not help its performance significantly. General Election Details Kerry/Allies  |  Bush/Cheney '04

[Primary Election and Referendum Election:  June 8, 2004]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Voting Eligible Population*: 969,292. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 67.2%. Registration: Dem. 297,405 (31.40%)   Rep. 278,228 (29.37%)   Ref. 3,114 (0.33%)   Grn Ind. 8,743 (0.92%)  Unenrolled 359,699 (37.98%)   ...Total 947,189.

Official Results            Browne/Olivier (Lib.) 3,074 (0.47) Buchanan/Foster (Ref.) 4,443 (0.68) Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 286,616 (43.97) +Gore-Lieberman (Dem.) 319,951 (49.09) Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)  37,127 (5.70) Phillips/Frazier (Const.)  579 (0.09) Other  27  -  Total........651,817

2000 Overview In 1992 and 1996, Mainers provided Ross Perot with his strongest showings percentagewise of any state. They have twice elected independent Angus King as governor.  While the two House members are Democrats, both Senators are Republicans.  About 38% of the electorate are unenrolled voters.  In short, Maine's voters tend to be independent-minded.  In 2000 they backed Gore with a plurality of 33,335 votes (5.12 percentage points).  He carried the 1st CD, which covers Southern Maine up to Augusta, by 50.52% to 42.59% with 5.82% for Nader (176,293 to 148,618 and 20,297).  The 2nd CD was closer--indeed right up to Election Night the Bush camp had hopes of gaining one elector--but it did go for Gore 47.43% to 45.56% with 5.56% for Nader (143,658 to 137,998 and 16,830). General Election Activities

1992 and 1996 General Elections

	1992 Clinton (Dem.).......263,420 (38.76) Perot (Ind.)............206,820 (30.43) Bush (Rep.)...........206,504 (30.39) Others (3+w/ins)........2,755 (0.41) Total........679,499	1996 Clinton (Dem.).......312,788 (51.62) Dole (Rep.)............186,378 (30.76) Perot (Ref.).............85,970 (14.19) Nader (Grn.).............15,279 (2.52) Others (3+w/ins).......5,482 (0.90) Total........605,897
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