Portland residents can now request an absentee ballot for the city’s special election on June 8 and the ballots will be available early next month.
Jessica Grondin, the city’s spokesperson, said city residents will vote on June 8 on the proposed school budget for 2021-22 and to elect nine members to the Charter Commission.
Absentee ballots can be requested by calling the City Clerk’s office at 207-874-8677, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by filling out a form online at portlandmaine.gov/325/Elections-Voting.
In-person early absentee voting will begin in May once the ballots have arrived. Voting in-person will be take place during the City Clerk’s office hours in the box office lobby for Merrill Auditorium, Grondin said. The public should use the Myrtle Street entrance to enter Merrill Auditorium.
The Clerk’s Office will stay open until 7 p.m. for in-person voting on June 3. The last day for in-person absentee voting will be June 4.
Last year, Portland’s City Council appointed three members to serve on the Charter Commission, leaving the nine vacant positions to be filled during the June 8 election.
A diverse group of 24 Portland residents hopes to win seats on the charter commission, which could recommend changes to the basic structure of city government, including whether daily operations should be overseen by an elected mayor instead of a professional city manager.
Voters also must decide on June 8 whether to approve a proposed $125.2 million school budget, which was approved by the school board this month.
The city’s 11 polling locations will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on June 8. Residents must vote at their assigned polling place.
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