The surge in voter registration in Maine continues, having sustained a sharp increase that started in the first week of September.

Data from the Office of the Secretary of State shows more than 5,000 people have registered to vote in four of the past five weeks, with totals reaching only a fraction of that amount throughout August.

There are five statewide ballot questions in next month’s election, while U.S. Senator Angus King is running for reelection and both Congressional House seats are being contested.

The surge in voter registration could also be triggered by a nationally competitive Presidential race between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The deadline to utilize online voter registration is Tuesday, Oct. 15 for the November 5 election. The website is maine.gov/vote.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is happy with all of the results so far.

“We’ve already seen strong interest in online voter registration by Mainers to register for the first time, or to update an existing registration after a big life event,” said Bellows. “With same day voter registration available up to and including Election Day, Mainers have a lot of options for how to register to vote, but online voter registration is an easy, convenient way for folks to register at their own convenience and have one fewer thing on their to do list before casting a ballot.”

Maine offers ranked choice voting in which voters can rank the candidates on their ballot in order of preference.  It was the first state to adopt the practice in 2020.  Ranked choice voting ensures that at least one candidate achieves a majority of ballots cast, as bottom finishers are eliminated until one candidate achieves a majority.

To register to vote in Maine, voters must be Maine residents, U.S. citizens, and at least 16 years old, though only Mainers who will be 18 years old on or before November 5, 2024, may vote in the General Election. When registering for the first time, voters must provide proof of residency and identity. Current or former incarceration status does not disqualify any Mainer from registering to vote or casting their ballot. Incarcerated persons at a correctional facility or county jail may register to vote in the Maine municipality where they established residency prior to incarceration

Maine has same day voter registration, meaning that Mainers may register to vote and cast their ballot on the same day, even Election Day. Online voter registration at maine.gov/vote is available through Tuesday, Oct. 15 (21 days before Election Day). Registrations done by mail need to be received by the municipal clerk of the voter by that date as well. Automatic voter registration during Bureau of Motor Vehicle transactions is available through Tuesday, Oct. 29 (7 days before Election Day). After those deadlines, registrations must be done in person at the voter’s municipality.