Primary Elections determine each party’s nomination of candidates for US Senate and Representative to Congress, and qualified State and County offices. (The Office of President is not included in Primary Elections in Maine; each party’s nomination of a presidential candidate is done at party caucuses held in the spring of the Presidential Election year.) Party candidates who are elected at the Primary qualify to appear on the General Election ballot the following November. In Maine, the Primary Election is held on the second Tuesday in June of each even-numbered year.
Maine currently has three qualified parties: Democratic, Green Independent, and Republican. (Note: although some unenrolled candidates choose to designate themselves as “Independent,” there is no “Independent” party in Maine now). In order to qualify for the Primary Election ballot, party candidates must submit nomination petitions to the Secretary of State’s Office by March 15th.
Offices included in the 2010 Primary Election are Governor, Representative to Congress (both districts), all 35 State Senate districts, all 151 State Representative districts, and the following county offices, which vary depending on the county: Judge of Probate, Register of Probate, County Treasurer, Register of Deeds, Sheriff, District Attorney and County Commissioner.
Voters who are enrolled in a party are encouraged to participate in the Primary Election as the first step of the biennial candidate election process. There may be a Referendum Election held on the same day as the Primary Election, and all voters, whether enrolled in a party or not, are encouraged to participate in that election. More information on the June 8, 2010 Referendum Election is available below.
Referendum Elections are held to provide Maine’s citizens an opportunity to vote on People’s Veto Referenda, Direct Initiatives of Legislation (i.e. Citizen Initiatives), Bond Issues, other referenda proposed by the Legislature, and Constitutional Amendments. Referendum elections are an important part of the heritage of public participation in Maine.
Measures that will appear on the June 8, 2010 referendum ballot: (in the order they will appear on the ballot):
It is important that we repeal question one as it
Question 1 (People’s Veto):
“Do you want to reject the new law that lowers Maine’s income tax and replaces that revenue by making changes to the sales tax?”
Question 2 (Bond Issue):
“Do you favor a $26,500,000 bond issue that will create jobs through investment in an off-shore wind energy demonstration site and related manufacturing to advance Maine’s energy independence from imported foreign oil, that will leverage $24,500,000 in federal and other funds and for energy improvements at campuses of the University of Maine System, Maine Community College System and Maine Maritime Academy in order to make facilities more efficient and less costly to operate?”
Question 3 (Bond Issue):
“Do you favor a $47,800,000 bond issue to create jobs in Maine through improvements to highways, railroads and marine facilities, including port and harbor structures, and specifying the allocation of $4,000,000 of the transportation bond approved by voters in November 2009 to be used for capital rail purposes?”
Question 4 (Bond Issue):
“Do you favor a $23,750,000 bond issue to provide capital investment to stimulate economic development and job creation by making investments under the Communities for Maine’s Future Program and in historic properties; providing funding for research and development investments awarded through a competitive process; providing funds for disbursements to qualifying small businesses; and providing grants for food processing for fishing, agricultural, dairy and lumbering businesses within the State and redevelopment projects at the Brunswick Naval Air Station that will make the State eligible for over $39,000,000 in federal and other matching funds?”
Question 5 (Bond Issue):
“Do you favor a $10,250,000 bond issue to improve water quality, support drinking water programs and the construction of wastewater treatment facilities and to assist farmers in the development of environmentally sound water sources that will leverage $33,250,000 in federal and other funds?”
