The Maine State Bar Association reported: “According to the Secretary of State, as of November 1, more than 220,000 Mainers had requested absentee ballots for the November 8 election, and more than 160,000 had already voted using this process. Thursday, November 3, was the last day for voters to pick up absentee ballots. The record for most votes cast by absentee ballot is 237,000 from the 2008 presidential election, where almost 237,000 Mainers voted using this method. The number of Mainers voting by absentee ballot has increased since the 1990s when the state became a ‘no excuse’ state, meaning a voter doesn't have to meet any special circumstances to qualify for an absentee ballot.”