Maine sets record for voter turnout

AUGUSTA – Mainers set a record for voter turnout in the Nov. 2 election, drawn to the polls by a close presidential election, referendums on tax reform and bear hunting, and a full slate of legislative candidates.

Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky said 73.8 percent of Maine’s voting-age population cast ballots in the election.

The previous record was in 1992, when 73.1 percent of the voting-age population turned out at the polls. The second-best turnout was in 1960, when 71.7 percent of Mainers voted when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon ran for president.

“Maine voters should be congratulated for exercising their right to vote in record-setting numbers,” Gwadosky said. “They have once again demonstrated that civic participation and civic responsibility matter to Maine people.”

Officials expected a high turnout based on the record number of absentee ballots and voter registrations that many municipalities were reporting.

Interest was high in part because of the tightness of the presidential race between President Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry.

Turnout also was helped by referendums asking voters whether they favored a 1 percent property tax cap or a new law to ban bear hunting with the use of bait, dogs or traps. Both referendums failed.

Gwadosky said a record 751,519 ballots were cast, breaking the old record of 679,499 ballots cast in the 1992 election. This year also marked the first time that the voting-age population exceeded 1 million.

Gwadosky said he was impressed that few problems were reported from polling places on Election Day.

“Given the number of voters who participated, Maine’s clerks, registrars and other local officials did a remarkable job,” he said.