How to run in Maine, 2028
What it takes to get on Maine's 2028 ballot for the U.S. House or President, from the state's election office and laws. Maine has no U.S. Senate seat up in 2028.
U.S. House
Who can run
- At least 25 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
- Living in the state when elected (the Constitution doesn't require living in the district)
- Party primary candidates must be enrolled in the party named on the petition on or before March 15 of the election year, certified by the registrar of their municipality on a Secretary of State form (21-A M.R.S. §334, §336(4)). source
- Unenrolled (petition) candidates must swear in their consent that they have not been enrolled in a party qualified to participate in a primary or general election after March 1 of the election year, and must remain unenrolled from March 1 through the general election (21-A M.R.S. §355(3)). source
Getting on the Maine ballot
| Where to file | Maine Secretary of State (Division of Elections), Augusta; petition signatures are first certified by the registrar or clerk of each signer's municipality. |
|---|
| When | Primary petitions may be signed from January 1, 2028 and must be filed with the Secretary of State before 5:00 p.m. on March 15, 2028, for the June 13, 2028 primary (second Tuesday of June) (21-A M.R.S. §335(6), (8); §339). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
|---|
| How | File a primary petition on the Secretary of State's form and the candidate's written consent, which includes a declaration of residence, party, and meeting the office's qualifications, sworn before a notary public or other official authorized to administer oaths, plus the registrar's enrollment certification. Each petition circulator swears before a notary (or other authorized official) to having witnessed the signatures, and municipal registrars certify the names before filing (21-A M.R.S. §§334-336). |
|---|
| Fee | No filing fee in statute; access is by petition. |
|---|
| Petition instead | At least 1,000 and not more than 1,250 voters of the congressional district who are enrolled in the candidate's party (or unenrolled voters, if the party has elected to allow them) (21-A M.R.S. §335(2), (5)(C)). |
|---|
Official filing information · U.S. Constitution
President
Who can run: At least 35 years old; A natural-born U.S. citizen; A U.S. resident for at least 14 years (U.S. Constitution).
Getting on Maine's presidential primary ballot
| How | Candidate petition. Each party's state committee certifies by October 1 of the year before the presidential election year whether there is a contest for its presidential nomination, and the Secretary of State announces which parties will hold a presidential primary (21-A M.R.S. §441(1)). A candidate files a primary petition with the Secretary of State, filed in the manner of §§335 and 336 (including the candidate's written consent); the ballot includes each person whose petition meets the requirements, as determined by the Secretary of State subject to challenge and appeal under §337 (21-A M.R.S. §§442, 443). The Secretary of State makes petitions available on or before October 1 of the preceding year. The presidential primary is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March: March 7, 2028 (§441(1)). Unenrolled voters may vote in one party's presidential primary without enrolling (§441(3)). |
|---|
| Where | Petitions certified by the registrar of voters (or clerk) of each signer's municipality, then filed with the Maine Secretary of State. |
|---|
| When | Petitions available on or before October 1, 2027; delivered to municipal registrars for certification by 5 p.m. November 20, 2027; filed with the Secretary of State no later than 5 p.m. December 1, 2027 (21-A M.R.S. §442). (expected: follows state law) |
|---|
| Fee | None stated in the statutes. |
|---|
| Petition | At least 2,000 and not more than 2,500 voters (21-A M.R.S. §335(5)(B-3)), who must be enrolled in the party named in the petition or, if the party so elects by filing a form with the Secretary of State, unenrolled (§335(2)). |
|---|
Sources: 21-A M.R.S. § 441 · 21-A M.R.S. § 442 · 21-A M.R.S. § 443 · 21-A M.R.S. § 335
Running as an independent in November
| How | Nomination of a slate of presidential electors by non-party petition. The names of the candidates for President and Vice President must be placed on the petition, and the electors' names must appear on the petition as a slate (21-A M.R.S. §354(1)(B)). Any Maine voter may sign (§354(2)). The petition may contain the candidates' consent required by §355. Petitions are certified by each signer's municipal registrar (or clerk), then filed with the Secretary of State. |
|---|
| Where | Maine Secretary of State (after certification by municipal registrars). |
|---|
| When | Signatures may not be collected before January 1, 2028 (§354(6)); petitions delivered to municipal registrars for certification by 5 p.m. July 25, 2028 (§354(7)); filed with the Secretary of State by 5 p.m. August 1, 2028 (§354(8-A)). (expected: follows state law) |
|---|
| Fee | None stated in the statute. |
|---|
| Petition | At least 4,000 and not more than 5,000 voters for a slate of presidential electors (21-A M.R.S. §354(5)(A)). |
|---|
| Also | Running mate and full elector slate must be named on the petition itself. Candidate consent requirements are in 21-A M.R.S. §355 (not read here). |
|---|
Sources: 21-A M.R.S. § 354
Campaign money
- Once you raise or spend more than $5,000, file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) within 15 days.
- Your campaign committee then files a Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) within 10 days and reports to the FEC.
FEC: registering as a candidate · FEC campaign guides
Checked November 4, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with Maine's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections