Absentee voting in Maine is getting underway, with the state’s four Electoral College votes up for grabs and a number of other national, statewide and local races on the ballot.

Maine is one of two states in the U.S. — the other is Nebraska — that does not use a winner-take-all system for all its electors. In the presidential race, two electors are given to the winner of the statewide popular vote, while one elector is awarded to Maine’s District 1 and District 2, respectively.

Maine is mostly Democratic, but its vast 2nd District is critical for a Trump victory

Maine is one of several Democratic-leaning northeastern states. President Biden won here by about nine points in 2020, improving on Hillary Clinton’s margin four years earlier. And it hasn’t voted for a Republican at the statewide level since 1988. It is ranked Likely D on the Fox News Power Rankings.

Like Nebraska, it also allocates its electoral votes by congressional district. The winner of the statewide tally receives two votes, with another vote for the winner of the presidential tally in each of its two districts.

The small coastal 1st District is solid blue territory. The 2nd District, which is predominantly rural and represents almost all the land area of the state, leans conservative.

Trump won the 2nd District by 7.4 points in his last race, and it’s ranked Likely R this cycle. The former president will look for a win here to get one step closer to the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the presidency.

Key downballot races in today’s early voting states

The same district is also home to a competitive House race.

Maine’s 2nd District: Incumbent Rep. Jared Golden is one of five Democrats running in districts Trump won in the last presidential election (Golden won by 6 points). The former Marine made headlines this year when he said he “didn’t know” whether he would vote for Biden again and was one of the first Democrats to question Biden’s mental fitness. This time, he’s up against Maine State Representative and former NASCAR driver Austin Theriault, who says he wants “more balance and less extremism” in politics. This race is a Power Rankings toss-up.

How to vote in Maine

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Maine.

TRUMP CAN WIN ON THESE 3 KEY ISSUES, MICHIGAN VOTERS TELL FOX

Voting by mail

Absentee ballots are beginning to be sent to voters after clerks were required to have received printed ballots to be sent out by Saturday. Applicants do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Oct. 31, and that ballot must be delivered to county officials by Nov. 5.

A voter arrives at a polling location to vote in Portland, Maine, Nov. 3, 2009. (Reuters/Joel Page)

OBAMA TO CAMPAIGN FOR HARRIS IN PENNSYLVANIA, OTHER KEY STATES

Early in-person voting

Maine counties offer early in-person voting, but the start date varies by location. Check the state’s website for more information. Residents may vote in person with an absentee ballot until the Thursday before Election Day.

A box for ballots in a polling area ahead of Election Day at Waterville Junior High School in Waterville, Maine, Nov. 2, 2020.   (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Voter registration

Maine residents can register to vote online or by mail through Oct. 15. They can also register in person during early voting and on Election Day.

Massachusetts is home to some strange laws. Many of the laws were passed years, and years ago so they don’t hold up or are enforced today, yet they are still on the books.

There’s One Bedroom Activity That’s Technically Illegal in Massachusetts

One particular Massachusetts law I found interesting is something that people do every day in the privacy of theirhomes: snoring. Believe it or not, there’s a law in Massachusetts (according to multiple sources) that prohibits snoring in your home unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked.

Is There Any Logic Behind This Massachusetts Law? 

Okay, in one small way I get that you don’t want to disturb the peace hence, the closing of the windows, but does one snore so loudly that neighbors throughout the neighborhood are disturbed by it? I find that hard to believe but then again maybe it has happened. Laws are formed for a reason. Furthermore, is the locking of windows really going to make that big of a difference?

Another question I have about this is what if I fall asleep in my kitchen, living room and/or basement and those windows are open but the bedroom windows are closed and locked? Is the act of snoring still illegal? Technically the state of the bedroom windows would be following the law.

This is a lot of silliness but it is fun to examine these strange Massachusetts laws and poke holes in them. Residents of Boston, Worcester, the Berkshires, and everywhere in between better take note and keep the snoring to a low roar.

Could you imagine if this Massachusetts snoring law was strictly enforced? Oh, my word. Many of my family members would be paying a fine or spending a night in the big house. This includes me. I wonder if it would be illegal for them/us to snore in jail…lol.

Paced by a strong first half University of New Hampshire to move to 3-1 in the NACR Men’s D2 competition.

The Wildcats were paced by some impressive elusive running from Jagger Lovely, who scored three tries and was a constant threat. Wing Rudy Seaborn scored two, one on a spectacular kick-pass that he caught on the full, while No. 8 Quinton Martin was a powerhouse in traffic.

That kick-pass from flyhalf Josh Patterson to Seaborn opened the scoring and then Martin charged through after a lineout-and-maul to make it, with Patterson’s kicks, 14-0. 

UMass Lowell flyhalf John Brabo nudged a smart grubber through that resulted in a RiverHawks try, but after that UNH fullback Luke Famularo started to try to key on those grubbers.

He did exceptionally well with that, preventing any similar tries and in addition it was a Famularo counter-attack that led to Lovely’s second try.

Lowell kept up the pressure with Lovely and Seaborn combining nicely. Lowell, hurt somewhat by a few players missing the game due to illness, were a bit overwhelmed.