Mainers are turning out in high numbers to cast their ballots early as a controversy-ridden campaign season nears the finish line in Maine.

Nearly 245,000 Mainers voted early this year, either by mail or in-person, as of Oct. 28, according to data from the Maine Secretary of State’s office. Thursday was the last day to request an absentee ballot or vote in the presence of a clerk.

Some town clerks reported that the number of voters casting their ballots early are nearing presidential election turnout numbers. In the November 2024 general election, 388,815 people in Maine cast their ballots early or by mail.

It’s not possible to know yet which candidates are garnering the most early votes. It is possible to know, however, which party’s early voters are turning out the most. 

More than 118,000 Democrats and 54,000 Republicans have voted absentee so far. More than 66,000 unenrolled voters have also voted absentee, according to data from the Secretary of State’s office.

Even before early voting began for the day at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 28, a line of people had formed on the second floor of city hall in Portland to vote. More than 16,000 Portland residents have requested mail-in ballots, state numbers show. 

One city hall worker told a reporter on Wednesday, “It’s like Six Flags up there.” 

Portland resident Lydia Savage said she waited 40 minutes in line at city hall to cast her ballot on Monday. Others waiting were generally in a good mood and passed updates down the line about how many people were ahead, she said. 

Savage said she was delighted to vote early for the first time.

“The campaigns have been harsher than I’ve ever seen,” Savage said. “I just wanted to be done with it.”

Other towns in Maine have also seen high turnout for early voting.

Auburn City Clerk Emily Carrington said the city has seen higher absentee turnout this gubernatorial election cycle. Of the 4,833 ballots that were issued, 4,330 ballots have been returned so far. During the last gubernatorial election in 2022, Carrington said there were 3,634 absentee voters. 

Still, the turnout does not surpass presidential election data: In 2024, 6,120 people voted absentee in Auburn. 

Some smaller towns are seeing more early voting than in past midterm elections. Litchfield, which has approximately 2,500 active voters, had received about 675 absentee votes as of midday on Oct. 29. Deputy Registrar of Voters and Deputy Clerk Libby Rodrigue expected that total to reach about 700 by the end of the day, which would be comparable to the 2024 presidential election.

Casco has about 2,600 registered voters. As of early afternoon yesterday, 741 absentee ballots had been requested and 624 brought back. For the last presidential election, about 1,000 ballots were submitted early, according to the town clerk’s office.

Other towns are seeing manageable turnouts in early voting. Brunswick Town Hall, which normally closes on Fridays, kept its doors open on Oct. 23 to accommodate voters. Though not as busy as other cities such as Portland, three temporary assistant town clerks had received a steady trickle of in-person absentee voters.

Some Mainers are feeling fatigued from a rocky campaign year, which included explosive revelations about former Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Graham Platner and a steady trade of political attack ads between Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson. 

For some Mainers, voting in a challenging political climate does not feel worth it. 

“All of it is such rubbish,” said a retired Navy man from Portland who asked not to be identified by name. 

He said he feels disillusioned with the political system and therefore does not vote. He specifically named former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who is running to represent the 2nd District in the U.S. House; Collins; and Jackson as candidates who have disappointed him.

“It isn’t about politics anymore, it’s about belittling the next person,” said another man, from South Portland, who declined to provide his name; he said he hadn’t voted since President Jimmy Carter was in office.

Falmouth resident Rachel Doe, who dropped her mail-in ballot at her town hall ahead of election day, said she’s voted early ever since she had kids. It’s easier to manage the timing of voting that way, she said, and dropping her ballot off in person means there’s no risk of delays in the mail.

But she’s ready for the season of fierce campaigns for Senate, Congress and local seats to be over. She said door-to-door canvassers and campaign calls are frequent, and there is a lot of pressure in the current political climate. 

“It feels intense,” she said. “[I’m] getting a lot of phone calls.”

Portland resident Darrel Williams waited in line at city hall to vote but ultimately left when he realized how long it would take. He had a meeting that he couldn’t be late for and planned to return to vote later on Thursday.

Williams said he hadn’t seen such long lines before in previous election cycles. Several issues might be drawing people out, he said: the cost of living, immigration enforcement and general dissatisfaction. Williams, who is Black, said he is seeing society revert backward on issues such as racism, xenophobia and classism.

“The next generation should not have to battle those things,” Williams said. 

Reporters Delger Erdenesanaa, Sean Scott and Rose Lundy contributed reporting.

This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor, a nonprofit civic news organization. To get regular coverage from The Monitor, sign up for a free Monitor newsletter here.