Government of Maine facts for kids
The Maine Constitution structures Maine's state government, composed of three co-equal branches—the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The state of Maine also has three Constitutional Officers (the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer, and the State Attorney General) and one Statutory Officer (the State Auditor).
The legislative branch is the Maine Legislature, a bicameral body composed of the Maine House of Representatives, with 151 members, and the Maine Senate, with 35 members. The Legislature is charged with introducing and passing laws.
The executive branch is responsible for the execution of the laws created by the Legislature and is headed by the Governor of Maine (currently Janet Mills). The Governor is elected every four years; no individual may serve more than two consecutive terms in this office. The current attorney general of Maine is Aaron Frey. As with other state legislatures, the Maine Legislature can by a two-thirds majority vote from both the House and Senate override a gubernatorial veto. Maine is one of seven states that do not have a lieutenant governor.
The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting state laws. The highest court of the state is the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The lower courts are the District Court, Superior Court and Probate Court. All judges except for probate judges serve full-time, are nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Legislature for terms of seven years. Probate judges serve part-time and are elected by the voters of each county for four-year terms.
In a 2020 study, Maine was ranked as the 14th easiest state for citizens to vote in.
Counties
Maine is divided into political jurisdictions designated as counties. Since 1860 there have been 16 counties in the state, ranging in size from 370 to 6,829 square miles (958 to 17,700 km2).
| County name | County seat | Year founded | Population 2020 Census |
Percent of total | Area (sq. mi.) | Percent of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androscoggin | Auburn | 1854 | 111,139 | 8.16% | 497 | 1.44% |
| Aroostook | Houlton | 1839 | 67,105 | 4.93% | 6,829 | 19.76% |
| Cumberland | Portland | 1760 | 303,069 | 22.25% | 1,217 | 3.52% |
| Franklin | Farmington | 1838 | 29,456 | 2.16% | 1,744 | 5.05% |
| Hancock | Ellsworth | 1789 | 55,478 | 4.07% | 1,522 | 4.40% |
| Kennebec | Augusta | 1799 | 123,642 | 9.08% | 951 | 2.75% |
| Knox | Rockland | 1860 | 40,607 | 2.98% | 1,142 | 3.30% |
| Lincoln | Wiscasset | 1760 | 35,237 | 2.59% | 700 | 2.03% |
| Oxford | Paris | 1805 | 57,777 | 4.24% | 2,175 | 6.29% |
| Penobscot | Bangor | 1816 | 152,199 | 11.17% | 3,556 | 10.29% |
| Piscataquis | Dover-Foxcroft | 1838 | 16,800 | 1.23% | 4,377 | 12.67% |
| Sagadahoc | Bath | 1854 | 36,699 | 2.69% | 370 | 1.07% |
| Somerset | Skowhegan | 1809 | 50,477 | 3.71% | 4,095 | 11.85% |
| Waldo | Belfast | 1827 | 39,607 | 2.91% | 853 | 2.47% |
| Washington | Machias | 1790 | 31,095 | 2.28% | 3,255 | 9.42% |
| York | Alfred | 1636 | 211,972 | 15.56% | 1,271 | 3.68% |
| Total counties: 16 | Total 2020 population: 1,362,359 | Total state area: 34,554 square miles (89,494 km2) |
