Semi Open Primary Information

Department of the Secretary of State
Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions

To: Municipal Clerk
From: Heidi Peckham, Director of Elections
Re: Semi-Open Primary Memo
Date: December 5, 2023

Effective January 1, 2024, Maine will be transitioning from a closed primary system to a semi-open primary. Unenrolled voters will now be able to participate in primaries including the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary and the June 11, 2024 State Primary.
1. Unenrolled Voters - Voters who are not enrolled in a party may choose to vote in one party’s primary.
2. Voters enrolled in a party - may only vote in that party’s primary.
Each qualified party had until October 1, 2023 to file a certification with the Secretary of State to participate in the Presidential Primary. The Democratic and Republican parties are the only parties that will hold primaries on March 5th. The Green Independent and Libertarian parties will not be participating.

The chart below illustrates the ballot options for the Presidential Primary based on voter enrollment:

Unenrolled - May select either a Democratic or Republican ballot
Democratic - No ballot selection - must receive Democratic ballot
Green Independent - No ballot selection - Party not participating in Primary
Libertarian - No ballot selection - Party not participating in Primary
Republican - No ballot selection - must receive Republican ballot
No Labels (qualifying) - No ballot selection (qualifying party). If No Labels becomes “qualified” in January, the party will still not be participating in primary

Revised Absentee Ballot Request Application (illustration on reverse)
The Absentee Ballot Requestion Application has been updated with the following changes to accommodate the new semi-open primary requirements:
1. An “Enrollment” box has been added to the upper right box.
2. A “Ballot requested” question (#5) has been added for unenrolled voters to select
a primary ballot.