question 1 2016 Archives - Centralmaine.com

Recounts requested for legalized marijuana, school surcharge votes

Petitioners say the results were close and could be reversed, but others say nothing will change and state funds will be wasted.

If the Secretary of State’s Office and the governor take the maximum time allowed, the effective date could be Jan. 7.

The group intends to submit petitions by Wednesday, hoping the month-long recount will erase Question 1’s unofficial winning margin of 4,402 votes.

Cities and towns can decide whether to allow or ban marijuana-related businesses, but private possession and use would still be legal statewide.

by Megan Gray November 12, 2016

But one thing is clear: A huge new industry is sprouting up in Maine.

Who, what, where and when – as long as the voting results stand up.

Supporters claim a win based on unofficial vote totals, but potential challenges remain, including a likely recount and resistance from Gov. LePage.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, the margin was just 3,187 votes out of 749,059 cast on Question 1.

The state stands to join others in legalizing marijuana and increasing the minimum wage and would stand alone in adopting ranked-choice voting.

With 97 percent of Maine precincts reporting, the “Yes” vote is leading by less than one percent.