Secretary Dunlap announces recounts for referendum questions 1, 2

AUGUSTA — Recounts have been scheduled for referendum Question 1 and Question 2, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap announced Tuesday.

The Question 2 recount is scheduled to begin on Thursday, Dec. 1, in the Florian Room of the Maine Department of Public Safety Building, 45 Commerce Drive in Augusta. It will then be conducted concurrently with the Question 1 recount, beginning Monday, Dec. 5.

Question 1 would legalize marijuana for recreational use by adults 21 years of age or older. Official election night results show a difference of 4,073 votes between the Yes and No vote.

Question 2 would institute a 3% tax on individual Maine taxable income above $200,000 to go toward education expenses. Official election night results show a difference of 9,580 votes between the Yes and No votes.
Referendum Question Recounts


Referendum Question
Official Election Night Results

Recount Date/Time

Question 1:
Do you want to allow the possession and use of marijuana under state law by persons who are at least 21 years of age, and allow the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products subject to state regulation, taxation and local ordinance?  


YES: 381,647

NO: 377,574


9 a.m., Monday,
Dec. 5

Question 2:
Do you want to add a 3% tax on individual Maine taxable income above $200,000 to create a state fund that would provide direct support for student learning in kindergarten through 12th grade public education?


YES: 383,428

NO: 373,848


9 a.m., Thursday,
Dec. 1

Recounts are a public proceeding. A statewide referendum recount is expected to take up to six weeks. In a recount, the representatives of each side of the issue manually review each ballot to determine the official vote tally, overseen by the staff members from the Department of the Secretary of State.
Results of the recount will be posted on the Maine Department of the Secretary of State website and Facebook page and released to the media via email.

State law requires the State Police to collect the ballots for the recount and keep them in a secure State Police facility until the recount has been completed. The ballots are stored in tamperproof metal containers and are closed with specially numbered security seals and locks.