Scott Thistle

Portland Press Herald

Scott Thistle is the State House reporter for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He has covered politics and government in Maine since 2006. Prior to that he served as the State House reporter for the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, Minnesota. A Maine native, Thistle has worked in journalism since 1990, when he got his start at a weekly newspaper in rural Oxford County, Maine. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and an active volunteer with the National Ski Patrol. He resides with his wife, Amy and his two sons Finn and Kai, in Auburn, Maine.

Latest

Published
October 24, 2020

How do Maine’s voting machines work? Can they be hacked?

Here’s what you need to know about the technology that Maine uses to count votes on Election Day.
Published
October 23, 2020

Nearly a third of Maine voters have already cast absentee ballots

More than 345,000 absentee ballots have been returned so far, according to Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap.
Published
October 23, 2020

Planning to vote in person? Maine officials say they have enough poll workers

Concerns that polling places wouldn’t have enough help on Nov. 3 have been eased by a wave of new volunteers and an increase in absentee voting. Here’s what you need to know about polling workers in Maine.
Published
October 21, 2020

How to avoid signature problems when you vote absentee

Maine law requires local election officials to match the signature on your absentee ballot application to your absentee ballot.
Published
October 20, 2020

More than 25 percent of Maine voters have already cast their ballots

The latest data on absentee voting shows that Democrats continue to far outpace Republicans in requesting and returning absentee ballots.
Published
October 20, 2020

Sign, sealed, delivered: How ballot drop boxes work

Dozens of Maine cities and towns have installed secure absentee ballot drop boxes to help voting go smoothly.
Published
October 19, 2020

November election may test Maine’s ballot supply

Polling places can get permission to photocopy ballots if supplies run low, but that will slow the count because copies can’t be fed into tabulating machines.
Published
October 16, 2020

How do I fill out my ranked-choice ballot?

Here’s what you need to know about ranked-choice voting, which only Maine will use in the presidential election.
Published
October 15, 2020

How do I vote early in Maine?

Here’s what you need to know if you want to vote early by absentee ballot and avoid polling places during the coronavirus pandemic.
Published
October 13, 2020

More than 133,000 Mainers have already voted by absentee ballot

Democrats continue to outpace Republicans in absentee ballot requests and returns in an election cycle that’s been highlighted by voters seeking to avoid COVID-19 exposure at the polls.