AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci said Wednesday he respects the will of the people – even when they make choices he opposes such as Tuesday’s endorsement of slot machines at the track.

Still, the majority of voters who ignored the governor’s warnings about approving slot machines at commercial harness racing tracks in Bangor and Scarborough may have a long wait before they actually get to pull the handle of a one-armed bandit.

With all 649 voting precincts reporting from Tuesday’s election balloting, unofficial results tabulated by the Bangor Daily News showed 53 percent of the voters favored the Question 2 slot machine proposal. The plan was advertised as a means to save Maine’s struggling harness racing industry, provide new funds for the state’s agricultural fairs and increase funding for the drugs for the elderly program.

But Baldacci opposed the question on the basis that, like the proposed tribal casino, organized gambling enterprises are not in the best interests of the state’s economy. Late Tuesday night, Baldacci indicated he might try to find a way to have voters reconsider the question at a later time. The governor seemed to back away from that assertion Wednesday – but not entirely.

“As [the proposal] unfolds and the discussion continues, as it is with anything, there may be an opportunity down that road that we may be able to review this,” Baldacci said and then declined to elaborate further on the implications of his statement. “I want to reserve my options for down the road. It just means we’re going to do first things first here.”

Among the “first things” the governor plans to explore is exactly what administrative structure Maine currently has to regulate slot machine operations. Baldacci faces a small explosion of slots in the state, not only from the Bangor “racino” project, but also from a bill sitting on his desk that would permit off-track betting parlors to have slots. Baldacci said he still plans to veto the OTB bill during the first week of the legislative session in January, knowing the bill passed in the Legislature with veto-proof, two-thirds majorities.

“My intent to veto that legislation has only been reaffirmed through the action of the public and overwhelming number of those opposed to casino gambling,” the governor said.

Under the proposed “racino” legislation, regulatory responsibilities would fall to the Maine Harness Racing Commission. Baldacci implied that a yet-to-be created Maine Gaming Commission, with a strong law enforcement component, might be a better administrative body to deal with a “racino” than the harness racing panel.

“We’re going to examine what other states have done,” he said. “We need to be really tough about this in trying to inhibit organized crime and corruption. We want to make sure we have the strongest practices. The harness racing commission may not be set up to regulate casino-style gambling.”

In the weeks ahead, the governor said he would scrutinize the “racino” proposal for weaknesses in general and fatal flaws in particular.

“I’m very much opposed to this, but the people have voted and I have to respect the will of the people,” Baldacci said.