Astonishing turnout in Maine election

[mainegreen]

We just had our election here in Maine. There were no statewide candidates, just local elections, some referendums, and the EVIL CASINO vote. We had over 90% in some precincts, with the average (so far) running over 70%. 70%! My girlfriend who worked the polls registering new voters yesterday registered over 100 new voters! Last year it was a paltry 2 voters. The polling place was packed at closing time!

So heres how it fell here in Maine:

Casinos got trounced 2-1!!!!!!!! No Tribal Casino!

Racinos passed :( but the local town that the track is in voted against it so... No Racino! Unless they want to move.

All the money for education and pollution cleanup referendums passed :)

And here in Portlands' West End where everyone said that a local green was stupid for running against a man who had been on the school board (hey, we get pretty worked up about that here!) 3 times and on city council before that, well the greens turned out in full force and TROUNCED that democrat (no republicans ran)! Unless the dems move left, this is whats in store! :)

[Brucey]

1. Wow, very surprising and uplifting.

[Starpass]

2. Mainer here, hold on, stay on the line, baby

I've been trying to get the news all morning. Are you telling me Mavadonas (sp?) got beat?? I shouldn't say anything because husband is a Portland teacher but I couldn't stand that asshole when he was on the school board. So he can go back to driving the ferry where he belongs!!!! Also, could you tell me if the A part of the school funding is the one that passed---i.e., the one that made the legislature fund the schools and all the special ed right here right now and not over a period of 5 years???? Actually, I wanted the casino because we have zip in good jobs in this state. So, Scarborough defied the mafia and won't allow the one arm badits at the race track??---I always thought this whole gambling thing was the mafia vs. the indians!!! As you say...this stuff is big news in Maine.

[mainegreen]

6. Not Mavadonas

but Herb Adams!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. It was the Casinos

People really got (get) fired up over that. The Maine "traditionalists" waged a good campaign against it.

[Starpass]

5. NewYorker--you know what is so laughable here??

I orginially came from the midwest but live here in Maine now. These people just aren't that religious--like in midwest religious--and they just aren't all that goody two shoes - like midwest wholesomeness. I thought they would want a casino on every corner, nude dancing in the streets and a couple of good whore houses to go as a side order. But there is a growing Christian right here lead by the guy who stole the damn funds from the movement and should have gone to jail but is back being their leader. Go figure. When Maine gets "holy", the nation is in trouble.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. Speaking as a native New Englander

with deep roots in Mass, VT, and NH, I completely understand and appreciate that greatest of Yankee traits- stubborn resistance to change. I think the Tom's of Maine/L.L.Bean/'wholesome image of Maine' people were right to cast the debate in those terms. (Geez, at this very moment I am looking at a bottle of Poland Spring on my desk with that nice idyllic scene on the label.)

My personal gripe with casinos is that philospophically, I can't condone what they represent as a 'livelihood'. I am a big believer in living by example, and casinos just don't cut it. And the Indians, while profiting handsomely, are in the end exploited by non-Indian managers who take more than their fair share of the cut. Long term, the local infrastructure and social support systems get overburdened by the sudden load. (Not to mention the irony of Native Americans contributing to the destruction of Nature by opening the door to rapid development of the land.) Local politicians have testified repeatedly that while the short term trend is good, the long term nets a loss, and they wish they had done something different with regard to the local economy. There is a very good book on the casinos in eastern CT- "Without Reservation" that covers the whole seedy process.

RE: the growing Christian right in ME- I am very sorry to hear that, and 9/11 cannot have helped. However, Maine will always have a special place in my heart- Walker Point notwithstanding.

[reachout]

4. Registration

I think we should have same-day voter registration everywhere in the country. If it is your right to vote, it should be your right to make the decision to become a voter on the day of the election. Everywhere it has been applied it seems to improve participation.

[Atlant]

7. Not such good news.

That would be "90% of all registered voters", right?

What's the registration rate (Registered voters/Eligible voters)?

Atlant

[mainegreen]

8. Well

The 90% mark was hit by mainly the island towns (from my understanding). These are very small communities, but from my understanding, it was 90% of eligible voters.

Either way, we broke voting records here for an off-election year.

On a sad note, its amazing how many people just dont understand voting. Some people came in to the polling place thinking they could register and vote here in Portland just because they worked here, even if they live 10 towns over. :cry:

[KittyWampus]

10. Great News

Thanks :)

[Scott Lee]

11. This is GREAT news

Because in general, higher voter turnout benefits democrats. If this is a trend you have reason to celebrate a bit, and hope to heaven that it continues to Nov. 2004.

[NoKingGeorge]

12. Philly had huge turnout as well

Philadelphia re-elected a Democratic Mayor with a near record turnout.

[maine_raptor]

13. High Turnout on Northern Maine too

Here we had close to 75%....made for a long night of counting.

The Casino question and the Question 1 brought a lot of folks out. Up here it was mostly the Property Tax/State Aid to Education (Question 1) that did it.

Only good news is that I lost my race for a spot on the Town Council.

The winners were the first two names on the ballot. Which just goes to show how much folks pay attention to the issues. The first name on the ballot was a woman who wants to raise the pay of all the Town workers and provide free recreation to residents of the surrounding towns. All this at a time when the local paper mill is in real danger of closing for good. That mill supplies 35% of the local property tax revenue. Wonder where she'll get the funds for those pay raises and new programs when that happens?