Maine Senate race 2026: Collins vs. Jackson

RThe Ledger's profile

Susan Collins

Maine's senior senator, in office since 1997 and Senate Appropriations chair; Republican nominee for a sixth term against Democrat Troy Jackson on November 3.

Read the documented profile of Susan Collins

Also on the ballot

Troy Jackson

American politician and logger; former president of the Maine Senate; 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from Maine

The general-election field as the board records it: Susan Collins (R) vs. Troy Jackson (D)

The race at a glance

Board data as of Sep 15, 2026. Ratings are the raters' own current calls; polls are the newest public ones with their field dates; money is what the committees reported. Nothing here is a forecast.

Seat

Sen. Susan Collins (R), incumbent

Ratings

Cook Toss Up; Sabato Toss-up; Inside Elections Tilt Republican (as read Sep 15, 2026)

Newest public polling

Newest public poll: Jackson +1.0 (Rasmussen Reports, Sep 10, 2026); 38 general-election polls tracked

Reported money

FEC: Collins cash on hand $11,038,115 (as read Sep 15, 2026)

Notable

Measured on the Ledger's Senate battleground board, Sep 15, 2026.

Key dates in Maine

Read from the Maine Secretary of State. The full guide, with the official tools, is on the Maine page.

• Online voter registration deadline5 PM on October 13, 2026 (the 21st day before Election Day), through the Secretary of State's online voter registration service at maine.gov/vote. After the mail, online and motor-vehicle deadlines, registration must be done in person at the voter's municipality. maine.gov
• In-person absentee voting begins (Maine's way to vote early in person)October 4, 2026 (30 days before Election Day) is the date on the Secretary of State's key-dates list for the start of the in-person, no-excuse absentee voting period. A September 15, 2026 release from the same office says absentee voting in Maine begins October 5, 2026. In-person absentee voting takes place at the municipal clerk's office; contact the clerk for office hours. maine.gov
• Absentee ballot request deadline (received by)The request must be received by the municipal clerk by the close of business on Thursday, October 29, 2026, unless special circumstances exist. Requests may be made online, by telephone or in writing. For voters who use the mail, the Secretary of State's absentee guide passes along a U.S. Postal Service advisory to request the ballot no later than 15 days prior to Election Day. maine.gov
• Absentee ballot return deadline (received by)Voted absentee ballots must be received by the municipal clerk by 8 p.m. on November 3, 2026. The Secretary of State says only ballots received by 8 p.m. on Election Day are counted, regardless of postmark. For voters who use the mail, the state's absentee guide passes along a U.S. Postal Service advisory to return the ballot no later than 7 days prior to Election Day; outside that window it encourages dropping the ballot off in person or in an absentee ballot drop box at the municipal office, if available. maine.gov
• Election DayNovember 3, 2026 — General Election. maine.gov
• Poll hoursOn Election Day, November 3, 2026, voting places open between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., depending on the population of the town, and all voting places close at 8:00 p.m. A person in line at the voting place at 8:00 p.m. may still register and vote. Opening times differ by municipality; the Secretary of State's voter guide says local officials can give the exact opening time for a community. maine.gov

Voting in Maine: dates, rules and official tools

Questions and answers