News Feature
Originally published in
Castine Patriot, November 9, 2023
and Island Ad-Vantages, November 9, 2023
and The Weekly Packet, November 9, 2023
State and local referendum vote analysis
Nearly 5,000 voters turn out locally
by Will Robinson
Hundreds of thousands of Maine voters took to the polls for the November 7 state referendum election. At the local level, 4,922 voters turned out across 10 towns on the Blue Hill Peninsula and the Deer Isle-Stonington.
State results
While all the votes were not tallied before press time, many of the questions were decided by large margins. Four hundred eighty-nine of 571 precincts reported as of press time on Wednesday, November 8.
Question 1, an act to require voter approval for over $1 billion in public debt, passed by more than 100,000 votes.
Question 2, an act to ban foreign government spending on elections, passed with more than 250,000 votes.
Question 3, an act to create a publicly owned utility company, failed by more than 140,000 votes.
Question 4, an act regarding the automotive right to repair, passed by well over 250,000 votes.
Question 5, an act regarding the timing of judicial review of petitions, passed by more than 60,000 votes.
Question 6, an act to include all sections in Maine’s printed constitution, passed by more than 150,000 votes.
Question 7, an act to repeal the requirement that petitioners live in state, failed by more than 100,00 votes.
Question 8, an act to restore voting rights for those under mental health guardianship, failed with the closest vote. While votes were still being counted, the results were declared, with the nos having it by over 20,000 votes as of press time.
Local results
Questions 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 passed statewide and in all 10 towns. While Question 3 was voted down at the state level, it passed in Blue Hill, Brooklin and Isle au Haut. Question 7 failed statewide but passed by five votes on Isle au Haut. Question 8 failed at the state level but passed in all area towns save Stonington, where it failed by 20 votes.
