News - Can Maine's primary losers appear on the general election ballot? | Fact brief

Maine candidates who lose a primary election cannot appear on the general election ballot as independents or as third-party candidates. They may, however, run as write-in candidates. Maine law bars “cross-filing,” meaning a candidate may seek nomination either by party primary or by nonparty (independent) petition, but not by both methods. The state’s filing deadlines also prevent double-dipping. Independent candidates must file nomination petitions with the Secretary of State’s Office by 5 p.m. on June 1 of the election year. Maine’s primary is held on the second Tuesday in June — after the June 1 filing deadline — preventing unsuccessful primary candidates from filing as independents. Maine does allow declared write-in candidacies for the general election if they file a declaration by 5 p.m. on the 70th day before the election and otherwise meet the qualifications. But that path does not get the candidate’s name on printed ballots. This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one. The Maine Trust for Local News partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims. Maine Revised Statutes: Elections: Nomination authorized; Maine Revised Statutes: Elections: Petition requirements; Maine Revised Statutes: Elections: Timing and nature of election; Maine Revised Statutes: Elections: Determination of declared write-in candidate