AUGUSTA — Early voting starts Monday, giving Mainers a chance to weigh in on hotly contested primary races for governor and the 2^nd Congressional District.

It will be the first gubernatorial election in which voters who are unenrolled can cast a ballot in either party’s primary, said Chief Deputy Secretary of State Kate McBrien.

As of March 2024, Maine law allows those who are unenrolled — also called independents — to vote in the primaries without having to enroll in a party. This election, Maine has four recognized parties: Green Independent, Libertarian, Democrat and Republican.

“You don’t have to enroll you just tell them which ballot you would like to have, and they give it to you,” she said. “Same when you are requesting your ballot for absentee voting. If you are unenrolled, you have the opportunity to pick which ballot is sent to you.”

With seven Republicans and five Democrats competing in their primaries for governor, McBrien expects to see many people take advantage of the state’s semi-open primaries. Voting begins Monday because the state is required to distribute ballots to cities and towns at least 30 days before Election Day, which is June 9.

The crowded fields mean final results aren’t likely to be available on election night because of the state’s use of ranked choice voting, she said.

Already, candidates are hoping to use the system to their advantage, creating alliances with others on the ballot.

On Thursday, Republican Jonathan Bush announced that fellow Republican candidate for governor Robert Wessels will be helping him campaign, even though he is continuing to run in the race himself.

“After months of contemplation, I have decided that I will be giving my #2 vote to Jonathan Bush and I encourage my supporters to consider doing the same,” Wessels said in the Bush press release.

And last month, the Sierra Club of Maine said it was endorsing three Democrats — Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Senate President Troy Jackson and former House Speaker Hannah Pingree.

The endorsement highlighted an alliance of sorts among the three gubernatorial candidates, all of whom served in the state Legislature. They are asking supporters to rank them in the top three.

“Of course, each one of us wants to be ranked No. 1, but if we’re not somebody’s No. 1, we want to be their No. 2,” Bellows said.

For election officials, the large number of candidates and use of ranked choice voting will likely mean all ballots will be transported to Augusta after the election, either for recounts or ranked-choice tabulation, said McBrien, who is overseeing the election because Bellows is running for governor.

“I’m expecting that we will have ranked-choice voting,” McBrien said. “That takes several days to actually gather all of the information from all 485 polling locations around the state.”

Those who opt to vote early can do so at city and town offices statewide, either in person or absentee.

For those voting absentee, McBrien recommends mailing the ballot back at least seven days in advance to ensure it is counted. Unlike other states, Maine law requires all ballots to be in hand by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

“With the United States Postal Service and a lot of the delays in their delivery, we’re letting people know you should make a plan really early if you plan to vote by absentee ballot,” she said.

That includes requesting the ballot early and returning it as soon as possible, she said. Those who are worried about cutting it too close can also drop ballots in boxes outside of municipal buildings or hand them in in person.

Maine also allows same-day voter registration, as long as voters present documentation of residency and citizenship.

McBrien said for the local clerks who run the elections, it’s a busy time as they work to run “smooth, fair and efficient elections.”