Maine 2018 ballot measures
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16, or Nov. 6 (in-person)
- Early voting: When ballots become available through Nov. 1
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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In 2018, six statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in the state of Maine.
One measure, a veto referendum related to ranked-choice voting, was on the ballot for the election on June 12, 2018. It was approved.
On November 6, 2018, five statewide ballot measures were decided. Voters approved four of the ballot measures and rejected one.
On the ballot
- See also: 2018 ballot measures
June 12:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VR | Question 1 | Elections | Repeals ranked-choice voting for primaries and congressional elections by overturning a bill to delay and potentially repeal it |  |
November 6:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndISS | Question 1 | Taxes | Creates a 3.8 percent payroll tax and non-wage income tax to fund a home care program |  |
| BI | Question 2 | Bonds | Issues $30 million in bonds for wastewater infrastructure | |
| BI | Question 3 | Bonds | $106 million in bonds for transportation infrastructure | |
| BI | Question 4 | Bonds | $49 million in bonds for the University of Maine System | |
| BI | Question 5 | Bonds | $15 million in bonds for the state's seven community colleges | |
Summary of campaign contributions
- See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2018
The following chart illustrates how much support and opposition committees had amassed in campaign contributions for each measure on the ballot:
November 6:
| Ballot Measure: | Support contributions: | Opposition contributions: | Outcome: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine Question 1 | $2,198,360.19 | $1,366,449.37 |
|
| Maine Question 3 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
|
| Maine Question 4 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
|
| Maine Question 2 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
|
| Maine Question 5 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
June 12:
| Ballot Measure: | Support contributions: | Opposition contributions: | Outcome: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine Question 1 (June) | $1,577,811.98 | $0.00 | |
Cost per required signature
- See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2018
The cost-per-required signature (CPRS) is a comparison of the amount of money spent on the petition drive to the number of signatures the state requires for an initiative to make the ballot. The following chart illustrates the CPRS for ballot initiatives and veto referendums:
| Ballot Measure: | Topic: | Petition company | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine Question 1 | Taxes | individuals | $187,088.68 | 61,123 | $3.06 |
| Maine Question 1 (June) | Electoral systems | $4,306.80 | 61,123 | $0.07 | |
| Averages: | N/A | N/A | $95,697.74 | N/A | $1.57 |
Getting measures on the ballot
Maine allows citizen initiatives in the form of indirect initiated state statutes and veto referendums. The deadline for submitting signatures to qualify ballot initiatives for the election on November 6, 2018, in Maine was January 29, 2018. A certified measure is sent to the state Legislature, where officials have the option to approve the measure or take no action. Taking no action would allow the initiative to appear on the ballot for a popular vote.
Signatures for veto referendums were due 90 days after the legislature's adjournment. The 2018 legislative session was expected to run from January 3, 2018, through April 18, 2018. To make the 2018 ballot, initiatives and veto referendums required 98,492 valid signatures.
The Maine State Legislature can put referred constitutional amendments, referred state statutes, and legislatively referred bond questions on the ballot. The state Legislature can put a proposed amendment or bond issue on the ballot upon a two-thirds majority vote in both the legislative chambers. The measure must then be approved by a simple majority of voters.
Historical facts
- A total of 135 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Maine from 1995 to 2017.
- From 1995 to 2017, the number of measures on statewide ballots ranged from two to nine.
- Between 1995 and 2017, an average of six measures appeared on the ballot in Maine annually.
- Between 1995 and 2017, about 78 percent (105 of 135) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots were approved, and about 22 percent (30 of 135) were defeated.
| Maine statewide ballot measures, 1995-2017 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Annual average | Annual median | Annual minimum | Annual maximum |
| Even years | 61 | 47 | 77.15% | 14 | 22.95% | 5.6 | 6.0 | 2 | 9 |
| Odd years | 74 | 58 | 78.38% | 16 | 21.62% | 6.3 | 7.0 | 3 | 9 |
| All years | 135 | 105 | 77.78% | 30 | 22.22% | 5.9 | 6.0 | 2 | 9 |
Not on the ballot
| Legend |
 = This initiative or referendum failed to reach the ballot and the petition is dead. = This initiative or referendum failed to reach the ballot in 2018, but petitioners could try to qualify the measure for the ballot in the future.
|
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndISS | National Popular Vote Interstate Compact Initiative | Elections | Joins the state in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact |
|
| LRCA | Signature Distribution Requirement for Initiatives and Referendums Amendment | Direct Democracy | Require that signatures be collected from the state's two congressional districts |
|
| BI | Student Loan Debt Relief Bond Issue | Bonds | $40 million in bonds for student loan debt relief program |
|
| BI | Business Investment, Loans, and Infrastructure and Biomedical Research Bond Issue | Bonds | $55 million in bonds for business investment, loans, and infrastructure and biomedical research |
|
See also
External links
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State of Maine Augusta (capital) |
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