Overview
- Bangor Daily News and Decision Desk HQ called Question 1 at 9:26 p.m., with 60.2% voting no to 39.8% yes based on unofficial returns.
- The proposal sought photo ID at the polls and would have cut two days from absentee voting, banned phone and family-member applications, limited towns to one drop box, and ended automatic absentee mailings to older and disabled voters.
- Nearly 145,000 absentee ballots were requested, with Democrats accounting for more than half of requests compared with 21% from Republicans, the widest gap since the pandemic.
- Opponents raised about $1.6 million with late help from national groups such as the National Education Association, while the main pro-Question 1 committee reported less than $60,000 after July 1.
- All election-night figures are unofficial, municipalities have two days to submit results for certification, and the secretary of state reported only routine issues at polling places.