Voters to face full range of issues on ballot

Maine residents will have seven referendum questions to decide at the Tuesday, November 3, election. The referenda range from a number of citizen initiatives, including one that would reduce the excise tax on qualifying vehicles and another that would be similar to the defeated TABOR referendum of a few year's past, to a people's veto to negate an amendment to the state's marriage law to allow same-sex couples to marry and a bond issue that includes funds for the port of Eastport. Each referendum is reviewed below, but full descriptions and attorney general statements of intent and content may be read in the booklet Maine Citizen's Guide 2009 to the Referendum Election, found at the website <www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/2009/intent09.htm>. A careful review of the issues may be necessary because of the language of the referenda. At times a "yes" or "no" vote's meaning is not apparent from the title of the referendum.