AUGUSTA – The people’s veto of the state’s recently enacted gay rights law will lead the Nov. 8 ballot followed by a series of bond proposals beginning with a $33 million transportation bond.

In a brief and informal ceremony Thursday afternoon, Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap chose the order in which the five bond issues will appear on the ballot.

The questions will be sandwiched between the people’s veto initiative and a constitutional amendment authorizing waterfront land used for commercial fishing activities to be assessed based on the land’s current use.

The ballot questions will be presented as follows:

. Question 1 will ask voters whether they want to reject the new law that protects people from discrimination in employment, housing education, public accommodations and credit based on sexual orientation.

. Question 2 will ask voters whether they favor a $33.1 million bond for improvements to highways, bridges, airports, public transit systems, state-owned ferry vessels and port facilities, bicycle trails and pedestrian improvements. The bond money would attract an additional $158 million in matching federal funds.

. Question 3 will ask voters whether they favor an $8.9 million bond issue to draw down $31 million in federal funds to improve sustainable water sources and develop new irrigation systems. The bond would also make improvements to a veterinary technician facility at the University of Maine.

. Question 4 will ask voters whether they favor a $20 million bond to stimulate economic growth and job creation in the state. The bond would draw an additional $44 million in federal and private funds for medical research and development and provide funds for the expansion of several facilities in the state university system – including a graduate school for biomedical science on the campus of University College in Bangor.

. Question 5 will ask voters to approve a $12 million bond issue to purchase land and conservation easements to protect wildlife and fish habitat as well as provide access for outdoor recreation and hunting and fishing activities. The bond is expected to attract at least $7 million in public and private contributions and will also assist efforts to preserve farmlands and working waterfronts.

. Question 6 will ask the voters to approve a $9 million bond issue for building renovations at several of the campuses of the University of Maine System.

. Question 7 will ask the voters to amend the Maine Constitution to provide a different tax assessment level for waterfront land used for commercial fishing purposes. The waterfront property would be taxed much like farmland and forestland currently are.

Ordinarily, proponents of particular bond issues like to have their question appear as high as possible on the ballot reasoning that voters are less likely to approve questions as they descend down the list.

But some State House observers speculated Thursday that the order of the ballot questions may not be as important as who comes out to vote in an off-year election with no candidates running for political office.

Some said conventional wisdom and past precedent seemed to indicate voters opposed to gay rights are apt to turn out in droves to repeal the law enacted by the Maine Legislature this spring.

If that happens, conservatives opposed to gay rights might also be inclined to reject further borrowing by the state and vote against some or all of the bond proposals.

At least one Democratic pollster disagreed, however. Patrick Murphy, who heads Strategic Marketing Services in Portland, said Thursday that while it was likely anti-gay rights factions will get out the vote on Nov. 8, the bond questions could still prevail.

“There’ll be lots of other people opposed to (the gay rights question) – not just the core religious right – on the basis that it will be a slow creep towards gay marriage,” Murphy said. “They will not necessarily oppose the bond package and I think it will go through – even in these lean times.”