Maine had the highest voter turnout in the country in November, driven by a high-profile race for Congress and a contentious gubernatorial election.
Just under 62% of citizens of voting age population cast ballots in Maine and a whopping 73.3% of active registered voters participated, according to the Maine Secretary of State’s Office.
“We are proud of our accessible, accurate and secure elections, and Maine historically has been one of the best in the nation for voter participation, so it’s no surprise that this year we took first place,” Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said in a statement.
As a percentage of population, only eight other states saw turnout above 55% in November, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Maine led the nation with 61.8%, followed by Oregon (61.5%), Minnesota (59.9%) and Wisconsin (59.7%).
Marquee races on the November ballot — a nonpresidential year — included the race for the 2nd Congressional District and the contest for governor.
U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, edged former U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, a Republican, 53-47% following a ranked-choice count.
And Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, defeated former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, 55-42%.