PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – While Presque Isle’s municipal election ran smoothly last Tuesday, one race for the SAD 1 school board quickly got muddled.
Since no one took out papers for Section 13, the position had to be decided by a write-in vote. Incumbent Susan Cook, who had been thinking about getting done after serving six years on the board, reconsidered, but the decision was made after the ballots were printed, so she actively ran as a write-in candidate.
While Cook received several votes, only one qualified. Some voters wrote “Sue Cook” while others didn’t write “Presque Isle,” therefore the majority of votes were invalid.
According to City Clerk Nancy Nichols, three other residents each received one vote, so at the end of the day, there was a four-way tie.
“Susan Cook, Anthony Scott, Sean Murphy and Jennifer Bridges each received one vote,” said Nichols, “but after we contacted Sean and Jennifer, they said they were not interested in pursuing the matter.
“The other two – Susan Cook and Anthony Scott – will need to be interviewed and selected by the City Council,” she said. “I spoke to Council Chairman Ed Nickerson Monday night and he will select another councilor to help with the interviews and then we’ll schedule them. Based on the interviews, the two councilors will make a recommendation to the remaining councilors and they will appoint the person at the Dec. 7 council meeting.”
For SAD 1, Section 3, incumbent Terry Sandusky defeated Eric Warren by a vote of 300 (14 from Presque Isle, 286 from Mapleton) to 245 (9 from Presque Isle, 236 from Mapleton). In Section 10, incumbent James Bubar defeated Benton Cash by a vote of 154-125.
Elected, but running unopposed, included Michele Green (296 votes – 120 in Presque Isle, 176 in Westfield) in Section 4, Scott Norton (184 votes) in Section 7, Susan Goulet (106 votes) in Section 14, and John Johnston (73 votes) in Section 15.
Randy Smith, who was running unopposed for a four-year seat on the City Council, was elected with 2,924 votes. Other uncontested seats included Larry Perry (2,973 votes) for warden and Joy Murchison (2,968 votes) for ward clerk.
Nichols said she was very pleased with the voter turnout in Presque Isle, especially given that it was an “off year.”
“There were 7,108 voters for a 46 percent turnout,” she said. “We had a lot of voter activity that day. We registered 200 new voters on Election Day, which is very high for a referendum year, while another 268 made changes to their records either because they got married or moved. We also canceled 59 voters who had either missed two general elections or had passed away. Our clerks were very busy this year.
“I was extremely happy with the turnout … pleasantly surprised,” said Nichols. “We had major lines when we started at 8 a.m. A lot of people stopped in on their way to work. Then there was a steady stream all day … there was never a dull moment. I’m sure Question 1 brought people out. People were very passionate and I think that’s why we registered a lot of new voters that day.”
Since no one took out papers for Section 13, the position had to be decided by a write-in vote. Incumbent Susan Cook, who had been thinking about getting done after serving six years on the board, reconsidered, but the decision was made after the ballots were printed, so she actively ran as a write-in candidate.
While Cook received several votes, only one qualified. Some voters wrote “Sue Cook” while others didn’t write “Presque Isle,” therefore the majority of votes were invalid.
According to City Clerk Nancy Nichols, three other residents each received one vote, so at the end of the day, there was a four-way tie.
“Susan Cook, Anthony Scott, Sean Murphy and Jennifer Bridges each received one vote,” said Nichols, “but after we contacted Sean and Jennifer, they said they were not interested in pursuing the matter.
“The other two – Susan Cook and Anthony Scott – will need to be interviewed and selected by the City Council,” she said. “I spoke to Council Chairman Ed Nickerson Monday night and he will select another councilor to help with the interviews and then we’ll schedule them. Based on the interviews, the two councilors will make a recommendation to the remaining councilors and they will appoint the person at the Dec. 7 council meeting.”
For SAD 1, Section 3, incumbent Terry Sandusky defeated Eric Warren by a vote of 300 (14 from Presque Isle, 286 from Mapleton) to 245 (9 from Presque Isle, 236 from Mapleton). In Section 10, incumbent James Bubar defeated Benton Cash by a vote of 154-125.
Elected, but running unopposed, included Michele Green (296 votes – 120 in Presque Isle, 176 in Westfield) in Section 4, Scott Norton (184 votes) in Section 7, Susan Goulet (106 votes) in Section 14, and John Johnston (73 votes) in Section 15.
Randy Smith, who was running unopposed for a four-year seat on the City Council, was elected with 2,924 votes. Other uncontested seats included Larry Perry (2,973 votes) for warden and Joy Murchison (2,968 votes) for ward clerk.
Nichols said she was very pleased with the voter turnout in Presque Isle, especially given that it was an “off year.”
“There were 7,108 voters for a 46 percent turnout,” she said. “We had a lot of voter activity that day. We registered 200 new voters on Election Day, which is very high for a referendum year, while another 268 made changes to their records either because they got married or moved. We also canceled 59 voters who had either missed two general elections or had passed away. Our clerks were very busy this year.
“I was extremely happy with the turnout … pleasantly surprised,” said Nichols. “We had major lines when we started at 8 a.m. A lot of people stopped in on their way to work. Then there was a steady stream all day … there was never a dull moment. I’m sure Question 1 brought people out. People were very passionate and I think that’s why we registered a lot of new voters that day.”
Statewide, local voting
Voters in central Aroostook may have been of like mind on many issues, but they were out of step with fellow Mainers on others.
Presque Isle, like the electorate in neighboring towns, overwhelmingly rejected the controversial law that permitted same-sex marriage. For example, Presque Isle voted 2,202 to 1,084 for repeal of the law, a more than two-to-one margin. Mars Hill voted 564 to 120 to repeal, nearly a five-to-one margin.
But statewide, the people’s veto of the “gay marriage” law passed in a much closer vote, even after outgoing Gov. John E. Baldacci spent some of his remaining political capital in what was ultimately a losing battle, this time around. Proponents of same-sex marriage vow to revisit the issue.
Area voters may have helped put another nail in the TABOR coffin. But, it could still spring wide open in the future. TABOR would have imposed spending limits on the Legislature and municipal governments. Presque Isle voted against TABOR II 1,942 to 1,311; Fort Fairfield, 836-468.
Also trounced was a measure to cut excise tax on some vehicles. It would have sheared thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars from municipal budgets. Presque Isle voters said “no” by a vote of 2,324 to 937. In Ashland, the vote was 310-110.
But, on repeal of the school consolidation law, rural communities were outvoted by urban areas leaving that statute in place, reflecting the power of large densely populated cities.
Residents in Presque Isle voted 1,800 to 1,439 to repeal the 2007 law on school district consolidation, while in Easton, the vote was 454-103.
The medical marijuana citizen initiative got voter approval statewide in a closer vote with regulation of the drug’s distribution to be established. Presque Isle voted against the measure 1,677 to 1,596; Mapleton, 452-406.
A $71 million-plus transportation bond issue won voter approval but a constitutional amendment to increase the time official have to certify signatures on direct-initiative petitions did not.
Voters in central Aroostook may have been of like mind on many issues, but they were out of step with fellow Mainers on others.
Presque Isle, like the electorate in neighboring towns, overwhelmingly rejected the controversial law that permitted same-sex marriage. For example, Presque Isle voted 2,202 to 1,084 for repeal of the law, a more than two-to-one margin. Mars Hill voted 564 to 120 to repeal, nearly a five-to-one margin.
But statewide, the people’s veto of the “gay marriage” law passed in a much closer vote, even after outgoing Gov. John E. Baldacci spent some of his remaining political capital in what was ultimately a losing battle, this time around. Proponents of same-sex marriage vow to revisit the issue.
Area voters may have helped put another nail in the TABOR coffin. But, it could still spring wide open in the future. TABOR would have imposed spending limits on the Legislature and municipal governments. Presque Isle voted against TABOR II 1,942 to 1,311; Fort Fairfield, 836-468.
Also trounced was a measure to cut excise tax on some vehicles. It would have sheared thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars from municipal budgets. Presque Isle voters said “no” by a vote of 2,324 to 937. In Ashland, the vote was 310-110.
But, on repeal of the school consolidation law, rural communities were outvoted by urban areas leaving that statute in place, reflecting the power of large densely populated cities.
Residents in Presque Isle voted 1,800 to 1,439 to repeal the 2007 law on school district consolidation, while in Easton, the vote was 454-103.
The medical marijuana citizen initiative got voter approval statewide in a closer vote with regulation of the drug’s distribution to be established. Presque Isle voted against the measure 1,677 to 1,596; Mapleton, 452-406.
A $71 million-plus transportation bond issue won voter approval but a constitutional amendment to increase the time official have to certify signatures on direct-initiative petitions did not.
Unofficial statewide results (99 percent of precincts reporting)
Repeal same-sex marriage law: Yes — 299,808; No — 267,785.
Decrease vehicle excise tax: No — 415,569; Yes — 145,554.
Repeal school consolidation law: No — 318,244; Yes — 227,062.
Require voter approval for tax increases (TABOR II): No — 335,228; Yes — 221,832.
Maine Medical Marijuana Act: Yes — 330,823; No — 232,992.
Highway bond issue: Yes — 362,437; No — 191,802.
Constitutional amendment: No — 284,074; Yes — 259,837.
Repeal same-sex marriage law: Yes — 299,808; No — 267,785.
Decrease vehicle excise tax: No — 415,569; Yes — 145,554.
Repeal school consolidation law: No — 318,244; Yes — 227,062.
Require voter approval for tax increases (TABOR II): No — 335,228; Yes — 221,832.
Maine Medical Marijuana Act: Yes — 330,823; No — 232,992.
Highway bond issue: Yes — 362,437; No — 191,802.
Constitutional amendment: No — 284,074; Yes — 259,837.
