In the past three presidential elections, Edgecomb Town Clerk Claudia Coffin reports the most absentee ballots requested didn’t exceed 168. In 2020, she has received 496 requests with 263 returned by Oct. 15. Coffin and her fellow town clerks across the Boothbay region are experiencing high early voting numbers due to competitive presidential, U.S. Senate and legislative races, but mostly due to the ongoing pandemic. “It was going to be a high turnout anyway, but the COVID is the biggest factor in driving the absentee ballots,” Coffin said.

So far, 42% of Edgecomb’s 1,178 registered voters have either voted early or requested an absentee ballot. Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport are following a similar trend. In Maine, early voting began Oct. 5 and ends Oct. 29. In Boothbay, 1,064 of 2,668 registered voters or 39.8% have requested an absentee ballot. Registrar of Voters Tracey Hodgdon Hyson reported 663 had returned ballots as of Oct. 15.

In Boothbay Harbor, 637 out of 1,863 or 34% requested absentee ballots as of Oct. 15. Town Clerk Michelle Farnham reported 440 were returned. And in Southport, Town Clerk Donna Climo reported 204 of 584 registered voters requested absentee ballots. By Oct. 15, 102 absentee ballots were returned.

In Boothbay, Edgecomb and Boothbay Harbor, registered Democrats outnumber Republicans. Boothbay has 860 Democrats, 850 Republicans, 853 unenrolled, and 128 Green. Boothbay Harbor has 673 Democrats, 597 Republicans, 132 unenrolled, and 38 Green. Edgecomb has 440 Democrats, 366 unenrolled, 323 Republicans, and 49 Green.

Southport has more registered Republicans than Democrats. It has 220 Republicans, 218 Democrats, 132 unenrolled and 14 Green.