A measure to cap contributions to political action committees easily passed in Maine, and the remaining 3 bond questions all appeared poised to pass.
ballot questions
Posted inMaine, Politics
Bill calls for amendment to prevent Maine voters from passing tax increases
Supporters of the measure to amend the state constitution say out-of-state special interest groups are using the referendum process to raise taxes with ballot questions that voters don’t understand.
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Lawmakers weigh how to avoid having more than one Question 1 on the same ballot
AUGUSTA — Sometimes the Legislature deals with big issues, such as health care, crime and taxation. And sometimes it deals with how to stop voters from facing more than one Question 1 on the ballot. A measure before the Committee on State and Local Government would require municipalities to list local ballot questions with “sequential […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
New report focuses attention on out-of-state cash spent on Maine ballot questions
AUGUSTA — A new report adds fuel to a growing worry that out-of-state cash has an outsize influence on what happens when voters head to the polls to decide ballot questions. The conservative Maine Heritage Policy Center weighed in on the initiative and referendum process Wednesday with a study of the spending deployed during the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Move to restrict signature gathering at polls assailed at hearing
AUGUSTA — At polling places across Maine, those gathering signatures for ballot initiatives have often set up a table on the way out to offer voters the opportunity to put their names on required petitions. For supporters, it’s a sign of a thriving democracy. For some, though, it’s a growing hassle. “We’ve come to hate […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Study: Maine ballot questions too confusing even for college graduates
A nationwide study on the complexity of the wording of ballot questions found that it takes a post-graduate education just to comprehend the title of the average referendum in Maine. Or to put it another way, the study found that it would take 25 years of education to figure out the average ballot question in […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Voters back Medicaid expansion, but that may not matter
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage’s decision Wednesday to hit the brakes on a one-day-old ballot question passed by voters to expand Medicaid in Maine is only the latest example of a trend by the governor or Legislature to, in many residents’ eyes, alter or ignore the will of voters. Last year, voters endorsed a 3 […]
Posted inMaine
Lawmakers weigh proposal to stymie unconstitutional ballot questions
AUGUSTA — A bipartisan group of senators has proposed a measure that would create a method to hit the brakes on referendum proposals deemed unconstitutional. “The constitutional rights of Maine people should never be subject to a majority rule process,” said state Sen. Eric Brakey, an Auburn Republican whose bill is co-sponsored by seven other […]