WASHINGTON (AP) — Maine voters will decide on two high-profile ballot measures addressing elections and gun violence in a statewide referendum election next week.
Question 1 makes several changes to the state’s voting procedures, most notably requiring voters to show a photo ID at the polling place. Question 2 would introduce gun control measures known as “red flag laws” similar to those in place in 21 states.
The measure represents the latest effort to put two hot-button national issues directly to voters on state ballots. The election is November 4th.
Question 1 is be placed on the ballot paper It is sponsored by The Dinner Table, a conservative political action committee. President Donald Trump and the Republican Party at the national and state level overhauling the country’s voting procedures;requiring voters to show identification when voting.
Secretary of State Shena Bellows was responsible for drafting the wording of the ballot question, subject to feedback from the public. Bellows, a Democrat, generally opposes imposing new restrictions on voting.
Final ballot text Written by Bellows Office “Do you want to change Maine’s election law to make other changes to elections, such as eliminating the two-day absentee voting period, banning absentee ballot requests by phone or family member, ending the current absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, banning prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limiting the number of drop boxes, and requiring voters to present certain photo IDs before voting?”
Republican supporters of the bill challenged Bellows’ language in court, calling it confusing and misleading, but the party’s July decision Upheld by the Maine Supreme Court Questions on the ballot written by the Secretary of State.
Question 2, a proposed “red flag” law, would allow both law enforcement officers and an individual’s family to ask a court to temporarily prevent a person from possessing a firearm or other “dangerous weapon” if they can prove that the person poses a “substantial danger” to themselves or others. The proposed law would build on Maine’s current law. “Yellow flag” lawonly law enforcement officers can petition the court.
Democratic Governor Janet Mills disagree with question 2said the court filing process is best left to law enforcement.
Debate over “red flag” and “yellow flag” laws takes on new urgency in October 2023 following comments from U.S. Army reservists killed 18 people At a Bowling Alley and Bar in Lewiston, Maine Worst mass shooting in state history.
Nationwide elections and state-wide votes on gun control tend to fall along partisan lines. In Maine, traditional voting patterns could be disrupted if the Democratic governor opposes Question 2.
former vice president kamala harris won an all-state championship in Maine In 2024, Trump would receive about 52% of the vote, compared to 46%. Her support came primarily from Democratic-heavy areas along Maine’s southern coast, which form the core of the state’s Democratic base. This includes the most populous counties of Cumberland and York, where Portland is located.
Mr. Trump won geographically in sparsely populated areas that make up the majority of the state. he took control of the state’s 2nd Congressional District He received approximately 54% of the vote and received one of Maine’s four electoral votes.
Maine is divided into 16 counties, but elections are held at the city and town level, a common practice in New England.
The Associated Press does not make predictions and will only declare a winner if there is no scenario in which a successor candidate closes the gap. Even if a race is not called, The Associated Press will continue to report on newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. At that time, The Associated Press will clarify that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
There is no automatic recount in Maine, but voters can request a recount on any statewide ballot question by getting at least 200 registered voters to sign a petition within eight business days after an election. If the difference between yes and no votes is less than 1% of the total votes cast or 1,000 votes, whichever is less, the state will pay for the recount. The Associated Press may declare a winner in a race subject to a recount if the lead is determined to be too large to change the result through a recount or legal challenge.
Let’s see what happens on November 4th.
When will voting start?
Voting ends at 8pm ET.
What does the ballot say?
The AP will provide voting results and declare winners for two statewide ballot measures, Questions 1 and 2.
Who can vote?
Any registered voter in Maine can participate in the election.
What will turnout and early voting look like?
As of February 6, there were more than 1 million registered voters in Maine. Of these, 34% were Democrats, about 30% were Republicans, and another 30% were not registered with any political party. The rest were registered with other parties.
More than 410,000 votes, or approximately 36% of registered voters, were cast in the 2023 referendum election. About 26% of the votes in that election were cast before Election Day.
As of Friday, about 56,000 votes had been cast by Election Day, of which about 50% were Democrats, 23% were Republicans, and 25% were unaffiliated with any political party. See AP early voting tracker For the latest updates.
How long does it usually take to count votes?
In the 2023 referendum election, the Associated Press first reported the results for Question 3, which received the most votes, at 8:15 p.m. ET, or 15 minutes after polls closed. Vote counting ended at 3:21 a.m. ET that night, with approximately 91% of the total votes counted.
Have you arrived yet?
As of November 4, there are 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.
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