The Maine Republican Party likely will drop a presidential straw poll planned for this fall, partially out of concern that a lack of interest by the major candidates could lead to an embarrassingly low turnout.

A straw poll with a dearth of candidates or spectators would be “a huge organizational expense that would get us nowhere,” said Ken Cole, the Republican National Committee member from Maine.

“We basically couldn’t get commitments from a lot of the top candidates, so I don’t think it’s going to happen,” said Cole, a Portland lawyer.

Most Republican candidates are turning their attention to such states as New Hampshire, home of the first-in-the-nation primary, after last week’s straw poll in Iowa, according to Dwayne Bickford, executive director of the Maine Republican Party.

An ever-quicker primary season was one reason Texas Gov. George W. Bush declined to take part in a Maine straw poll, said Ross Connelly, the head of his Maine campaign.

“With the acceleration of the primary season, everything is condensed and there just isn’t the luxury of time,” said Connelly, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress against Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, last year.

“Things are going to be moving so fast that you just don’t get the bang for the buck” with straw polls, he said.

Other candidates, including former Cabinet secretary Elizabeth Dole and publisher Steve Forbes, were also reluctant to take part in a Maine straw poll, party officials said.

“As they say, straw polls are beauty contests. And if you can’t get the pretty ones to come, there are not going to be many spectators,” said Cole, who is supporting Bush.

About 1,500 Maine Republicans and several presidential candidates attended a straw poll held four years ago. But the results had very little impact on the campaign.

Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas won the Maine poll with 42 percent of the vote, followed by Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana with 21 percent.

The eventual Republican nominee, former Sen. Bob Dole, didn’t attend the event and received only 10 percent of the vote in the Maine poll.

Maine and most other New England states will hold the Yankee Day presidential primary on Tuesday, March 7.