HOULTON, Maine — “It was very busy at 7 a.m.” when the polls opened yesterday morning according to Houlton Town Clerk Cathy O’Leary who also acts as warden of elections. She added that for an off-year election, the turnout by mid-afternoon was still very steady, probably due to citizen initiatives on the ballot and local elections.
The number of cars parked at the Rec Center at mid-afternoon consistently stayed between 30 and 40 as residents entered the building to exercise their franchise. At presstime, 1,612 votes had been cast out of 4,227 eligible registered voters.
Locally, Houlton voters had to decide on who would fill two council seats, three school district seats, three budget review slots, a trustee for the Cary Library and two directors of the water company.
Incumbent Councilor Nancy Ketch said “the good turnout was positive since we want to see as many people as possible voting.” Father Dave Raymond of St. Mary of the Visitation commented that he was doing his civic duty and “everyone should vote since our democratic process is based on our elections.”
Driving some of the heated interest in the statewide election were controversial issues on whether or not to keep laws on the books that allow marriage of same-sex couples and whether or not to repeal the school consolidation law. Also at issue were cuts in excise taxes on newer cars and voter approval for limits municipal spending.
The wording on the statewide referendum ballot had at least one man on the voting line say: “I hate the way these questions are worded.”
Momentary delays at the Rec Center did not phase voters when the machine had to be emptied because it was too full of ballots to pull any more through the counter. O’Leary said residents were good-natured about it and waited patiently for their turn to cast their votes.
Full results on local elections and statewide issues will be in next week’s Pioneer Times.
