Secretary of State announces order of fall ballot questions

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows on Tuesday announced the order of the five ballot questions that Maine voters will consider this fall.

Question 1 proposes a $5,000 cap on contributions to political action committees that make so-called “independent expenditures” to support or oppose candidates in Maine. The ballot measure is regarded as a potential federal test case on limits to campaign contributions.

The next three questions are all general obligation bond measures put forward by the Maine Legislature.

Question 2 proposes $25 million in borrowing for research, development and commercialization for both private and public institutions in the life sciences, biomedical technology, environmental and renewable energy technology, information technology, advanced technologies for forestry and agriculture, aquaculture and marine technology, composites and advanced materials and precision manufacturing.

Question 3 proposes $10 million in borrowing “to restore historic buildings owned by governmental and nonprofit organizations” with an obligation that the receive match at least 25% of the funds.

Question 4, which is a first for Maine, proposes $30 million in state borrowing to design, build and maintain trails for outdoor recreation and “active transportation.” The trails could be for non-motorized or motorized recreation.

The fifth and final ballot measure ask voters whether they want to replace Maine’s current state flag with a version featuring a pine tree and a blue star. The so-called Pine Tree flag was Maine’s official state flag for less than a decade at the beginning of the 20th Century but was replaced in 1909 by the blue flag displaying the state seal.

The pine tree flag has become extremely popular in Maine in recent years. But with so many variations out there, the secretary of state’s office solicited design proposals from the public featuring a pine tree and a blue, five-pointed star against a buff background. More than 300 entries were received and Bellows plans to announce a finalist in August before her office publishes a voter guide ahead of the referendum.

“We’re 98 days away from election day,” Bellows said during an event where the order of the ballot questions was established. “Get ready, check your voter registration, register to vote now, don’t wait and get ready to vote in November.”

Opponents of electing the president by popular vote, rather than through the Electoral College, had been collecting signatures to block a new state law that would add Maine to the National Popular Vote interstate compact. But the campaign did not submit petition signatures in time to qualify for the November ballot.