PORTLAND – More than 30 election wardens discovered the world had changed a lot in four years when they were briefed by the Portland Police Department on precautions surrounding the presidential election.

Election officials, many of them retirees, learned about a litany of potential problems including telephone threats, suspicious people, chemicals, powders, explosives. “It’s basically Security 101,” said Chief Michael Chitwood.

“The audience was attentive. In some ways they were scared to death. But we had to make sure they knew the possibilities,” he said.

Across the country, election officials are heeding warnings that terrorists could try to disrupt the Nov. 2 election and are preparing contingency plans to ensure that voting goes smoothly no matter what happens.

In Maine, election officials have met with Gen. John Libby, commander of the Maine National Guard and the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

And Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky will send a memo to town clerks within 10 days encouraging them to think about steps needed to secure ballots, relocate polling places if necessary and ensure open communication.

Deputy Secretary of State Doug Dunbar said the goal is to have contingencies for any disruption, whether it’s flooding, a power outage or terrorism.

“We just want to make sure all towns and cities have been thinking it through,” Dunbar said from Augusta.

Top election officials from across the country released recommendations Monday that included identifying key decision-makers, planning for disruptions and identifying the best ways to communicate with the public.

New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron warned that the election cannot be delayed or canceled. She also encouraged officials to be vigilant but to avoid actions that might scare voters.

The need to be prepared was driven home last March in Harpswell when someone called in a bomb threat as residents voted on whether to allow construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal.

Town Clerk Rosalind Knight said the decision to have deputies at polling places paid off.

Voting continued as bomb-sniffing dogs searched the school and the town hall. Afterward, voters had to pass through metal detectors, and packages sent to the school were turned away.

In Hudson, Mass., more than 100 parents have petitioned the town to remove election booths from schools for the safety of the children because of the potential threat of terrorism.

In Portland, City Clerk Linda Cohen said she had no contingency for disruptions during past elections. But she said election workers at 17 polling places will be well-prepared on Nov. 2.

“I wanted to make sure we have plans in place,” said Cohen. Potential disruptions could be as simple as a fire drill at a school where voting is taking place, or sprinklers going off, or a voter falling ill.

The silver lining is that all communities are better prepared to deal with problems than they were before the Sept. 11 attacks, said Lynette Miller of the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

Chitwood said it’s important to face realities. His department’s Power Point presentation for election wardens took place last week.

He acknowledged that disruptions were unlikely but he also noted that no one anticipated that the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks would have utilized the Portland International Jetport.

“It’s voting in post-9-11 world – there’s a new sense of vulnerability in our country whether it’s Manhattan or Portland, Maine,” Chitwood said.