Matt Junker

4 posts

Matt Junker is an elections and government reporter for The Maine Monitor, focusing on the state's electoral process and decision-making in Augusta. He previously spent more than seven years at the Bangor Daily News, most recently as sports editor after several years working as the paper's deputy opinion editor.

He grew up in Kennebunkport and now lives in Brewer. Earlier in his career, he was a weekly and daily reporter at several publications in southern and central Maine. Prior to becoming a journalist, he spent four years in Washington, D.C. working in the office of U.S. Senator Angus King.

Contact Matt with questions, concerns or story ideas: maMEMONtt themainemonitor org

Nearly 40% of signature gatherers for Maine trans athlete ballot question were from out of state

Outside petition circulators, money and lawyers have poured into Maine, making the state’s referendum process a battleground in the national debate over transgender rights.

ByMatt Junker

May 28, 2026

A petition form with signatures is shown on a screen.

Debate over trans athlete question puts Maine referendum process in the spotlight

Here’s how the state’s century-old citizen initiative process works.

ByMatt Junker

May 28, 2026

Two hands holding a ballot with ranked-choice options.

Maine is stuck in ranked-choice voting limbo. That’s not likely to change soon

Nearly a decade after Maine became the first state to approve the use of ranked-choice voting for statewide elections, it has yet to fully implement the system.

ByMatt Junker

May 12, 2026

an election worker prepares a stack of ballots for tabulation.

Here’s how ranked-choice voting works in Maine

Ranked choice is used in races for governor, the state Legislature and federal offices during the primary, but only in federal races during the general election.

ByMatt Junker

May 11, 2026