Nine Maine communities begin early voting

AUGUSTA -- Some Maine residents will get a chance to vote this week in nine communities taking part in the state's early voting pilot program.

Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap says early voting, which is different from absentee voting, is designed to make voting as convenient as possible.

In early voting, people cast ballots as they normally would in a voting machine, or in a ballot box, after being checked off the voter list. At the end of the day, the ballots are sealed and locked in a vault. That eliminates much of the clerical work associated with absentee ballots.

This week, early voting will take place in Augusta, Bangor, Cumberland, Falmouth, Gorham, Hallowell, Saco, Scarborough and Standish.