Here’s Exactly How The Questions on the Ballots in Maine Read

Yes on 1, No on 1, Yes on 2, No on 2. So what does a yes vote mean? What does a no vote mean? You can't always know which way your're voting because most campaigns never bother to show you the question. It's time to make this a little clearer. Here is exactly how the questions on Tuesday's ballot read.

Maine has three questions on the ballot this year. Here are the state wide referendum questions exactly as you'll see them on your ballot.

Question 1:  Citizen Initiative

An Act To Strengthen the Maine Clean Election Act, Improve Disclosure and Make Other Changes to the Campaign Finance Laws
Do you want to change Maine law to allow publicly financed state candidates to qualify for additional funds under certain limits and rules in the Maine Clean Election Act, to improve the disclosure of who pays for political ads, and to increase penalties for violations of campaign finance law?
Question 2:  Bond Issue

Do you favor a $15,000,000 bond issue for the construction of new energy-efficient affordable homes for low-income seniors, the adaptive reuse of structures for homes for low-income seniors and the repair and weatherization of existing homes for low-income seniors, which will create jobs and will be matched by an estimated $22,600,000 in private and other funds?

Question 3:  Bond Issue
Do you favor an $85,000,000 bond issue for construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of highways and bridges and for facilities and equipment related to ports, harbors, marine transportation, freight and passenger railroads, aviation, transit and bicycle and pedestrian trails, to be used to match an estimated $121,500,000 in federal and other funds?

Each town and city has their own questions as well. We can't list them all here, but here are the referendum questions for Maine's largest city, Portland.

QUESTION 1
Do you favor the change in the City Ordinance(s) proposed by citizen petition as provided below?

An Ordinance relating to employment in Portland; adding a new Chapter; Chapter 22: Wages, to the City of Portland Code of Ordinances; establishing minimum wages and minimum compensation rates for employees performing work in Portland?[5]

SUMMARY

This ordinance will ensure that all workers in Portland will earn at least $15 per hour by 2019. Employers having 500 employees or fewer will transition over four years. Employers having more than 500 employees will transition by 2017. The applicable tip credit allowed by the State is not changed, meaning that tipped workers must be paid at least $11.25 per hour plus tips, but not totaling less than the normal $15 per hour minimum wage. After 2019, the minimum wage will be adjusted every year to keep pace with inflation. The minimum wage will be enforced by the Portland City Manager and/or designees of the city manager. An exemption is included stating that City employees are not protected by this minimum wage, but this exemption may be removed by the City at any time.

Portland's Question 2 on the ballot is dizzying in its complexity. The ordinance change proposed on the ballot is two pages long, and no one is going to read the whole thing. If you'd like to read it for yourself, here's a link to a sample ballot. No one has time to type that mess out.

Hopefully this helps you to make your decision, but make sure your voice is heard. Get out and vote!