Maine Question 2, Science and Technology Research and Commercialization Bond Issue (2024)

Maine Question 2
Election date November 5, 2024
Topic Bond issues
Status a Approved
Type Bond issue	Origin State Legislature

Maine Question 2, the Science and Technology Research and Commercialization Bond Issue, was on the ballot in Maine as a legislatively referred bond question on November 5, 2024. The ballot measure was approved.

A "yes" vote supported authorizing $25 million in general obligation bonds to the Maine Technology Institute for research, development, and commercialization of Maine-based public and private institutions in support of technological innovation.

A "no" vote opposed authorizing $25 million in general obligation bonds to the Maine Technology Institute for research, development, and commercialization of Maine-based public and private institutions in support of technological innovation.

Election results

Maine Question 2
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		433,394	54.28%
No		365,100	45.72%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

What was this bond measure designed to provide money for?

See also: Text of measure

This bond issue authorized $25 million in general obligation bonds to the Maine Technology Institute for research, development, and commercialization of Maine-based public and private institutions in support of technological innovation. The funds were allocated in the targeted sectors of life sciences and 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.

According to the fiscal note, the estimated cost of the bond was $30.8 million, with a $25 million in principal and, assuming a 4.25% interest rate over 10 years, $5.84 million in interest.

What were recent bond measures on the ballot in Maine?

See also: Background

Voters of Maine cast ballots on 42 bond issues, totaling $1.65 billion ($1,647,925,000) in value, from 2007 to 2023. Voters approved 41 of 42 bond issues between 2007 and 2023. The last bond measure voters decided was in 2021, when voters approved Question 2 by 71.97%-28.03%.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The official ballot title was as follows:

“

Do you favor a bond issue of $25,000,000 to provide funds, to be awarded through a competitive process and to leverage matching private and federal funds on at least a one-to-one basis, for research and development and commercialization for Maine-based public and private institutions in support of technological innovation in the targeted sectors of life sciences and 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?

”

Full text

The full text of the ballot initiative is below:

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2024

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The secretary of state wrote the ballot language for this measure.

The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 42, and the FRE is -59. The word count for the ballot title is 85.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• Gov. Janet T. Mills (D)

Arguments

Ballotpedia did not locate arguments in support of the ballot measure.

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure.

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Maine ballot measures

Ballotpedia did not identify ballot measure committees registered to support or oppose the ballot measure.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Media editorials

See also: 2024 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

The following media editorial boards published an editorial supporting the ballot measure:

• Portland Press Herald Editorial Board: "Too often we hear about how hard it is to do business in Maine. A well-timed grant can change everything for an entrepreneur with the will to succeed. With the potential for such cold, hard return on investment, and for the good of Maine’s reputation as a place for small and medium enterprise, Question 2 should be a open-and-shut case for voters."
• Bangor Daily News Editorial Board: "Question 2 asks voters to approve $25 million in borrowing to replenish a competitive grant funding program run by the Maine Technology Institute. The money, like the funds from a $45 million bond that was strongly supported by Maine voters in 2017, would be awarded to projects in six target areas that are centered on long-standing industries in Maine: forestry and agriculture; aquaculture and marine technology; environmental and renewable energy; biomedicine and life sciences; composites and advanced materials and precision manufacturing; and information technology. The $45 million approved by voters in 2017 funded 18 projects, which brought in an additional $193 million from the private sector. This bond will continue state investment in innovation that has created jobs and helped to grow Maine’s economy."

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not locate media editorial boards in opposition to the ballot measure.

Background

Bond issues on the ballot in Maine

See also: Bond issues on the ballot

Voters of Maine cast ballots on 42 bond issues, totaling $1.65 billion ($1,647,925,000) in value, from January 1, 2007, through January 1, 2024. Voters approved 41 of 42 bond issues between 2007 and 2023. The last bond measure to be rejected was Question 2 (2012), which would have authorized $11 million in bonds to expand the state's community college system.

The following table contains information on the 42 bond issues that appeared on the ballot in Maine between January 1, 2007, through January 1, 2024:
Note: Click "Show" to expand the table.

Year	Measure	Amount	Primary purpose	Outcome
2007 (June)	Question 1	$112,975,000	Transportation projects	a
2007 (June)	Question 2	$18,300,000	Water facilities	a
2007	Question 2	$55,000,000	Economic development	a
2007	Question 3	$43,500,000	Higher education	a
2007	Question 4	$35,500,000	Environmental conservation and recreation	a
2008 (June)	Question 1	$29,725,000	Water facilities and transportation projects	a
2008	Question 3	$3,400,000	Water facilities	a
2009	Question 6	$71,250,000	Transportation projects	a
2010 (June)	Question 2	$26,500,000	Energy projects and higher education	a
2010 (June)	Question 3	$47,800,000	Transportation projects	a
2010 (June)	Question 4	$23,750,000	Economic development	a
2010 (June)	Question 5	$10,250,000	Water facilities	a
2010	Question 2	$5,000,000	Healthcare services	a
2010	Question 3	$9,750,000	Environmental conservation and recreation	a
2012	Question 2	$11,300,000	Higher education	d
2012	Question 3	$5,000,000	Environmental conservation and recreation	a
2012	Question 4	$51,500,000	Transportation projects	a
2012	Question 5	$7,925,000	Water facilities	a
2013	Question 1	$14,000,000	Military facilities	a
2013	Question 2	$15,500,000	Higher education	a
2013	Question 3	$100,000,000	Transportation projects	a
2013	Question 4	$4,500,000	Higher education	a
2013	Question 5	$15,500,000	Higher education	a
2014	Question 2	$8,000,000	Agricultural research	a
2014	Question 3	$12,000,000	Economic development	a
2014	Question 4	$10,000,000	Healthcare research	a
2014	Question 5	$3,000,000	Healthcare research	a
2014	Question 6	$10,000,000	Water facilities and environmental conservation	a
2014	Question 7	$7,000,000	Economic development	a
2015	Question 2	$15,000,000	Housing projects	a
2015	Question 3	$85,000,000	Transportation projects	a
2016	Question 6	$100,000,000	Transportation projects	a
2017	Question 1	$50,000,000	Economic development	a
2017	Question 3	$105,000,000	Transportation projects	a
2018	Question 2	$30,000,000	Water facilities	a
2018	Question 3	$106,000,000	Transportation projects	a
2018	Question 4	$49,000,000	Higher education	a
2018	Question 5	$15,000,000	Higher education	a
2019	Question 1	$105,000,000	Transportation projects	a
2020	Question 1	$15,000,000	Internet infrastructure	a
2020	Question 2	$105,000,000	Transportation projects	a
2021	Question 2	$100,000,000	Transportation projects	a

Debt from voter-approved bonds

The state treasurer provided an overview of the state’s debt resulting from general obligation bonds, which included voter-approved bonds. A general obligation bond constitutes a public debt and is paid for through state funds. Section 14 of Article IX of the Maine Constitution requires that general obligation bonds exceeding $2 million be referred to the ballot for voter approval.

Maine had $559.37 million in debt from general obligation bonds in June 2023. The graph below provides an illustration of state debt from general obligation bonds and the annual amount of unissued bonds in millions of dollars between June 30, 2005, and June, 2023.

Path to the ballot

In Maine, voter approval is required for state bond issues that exceed $2 million, with exceptions to bonds for the purpose of suppressing insurrection, repelling invasion, or for purposes of war, as well as for temporary loans paid out of money raised by taxation during the fiscal year which they are made, or for loans to be paid within 12 months with federal transportation funds.

A two thirds majority (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Maine State Legislature to place a bond issue on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 101 votes in the Maine House of Representatives and 24 votes in the Maine State Senate, assuming no vacancies. State bond issues require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

The legislation was introduced as Maine LD 416 in the 2023-2024 legislative session. On April 11, 2024, the measure passed the House. On April 16, 2024, the measure passed the Senate. Governor Janet Mills (D) signed the measure on April 22, 2024.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Maine

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Maine.

How to vote in Maine

Poll times

In Maine, municipalities with a population of 500 or more open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., while municipalities with a population of less than 500 open their polls between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. All polls close at 8:00 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Maine, one must be "a United States citizen, at least 16 years of age to pre-register to vote, and have established a fixed principal home in Maine. To vote in a Referendum or General Election, you must be registered in the community where you reside, and be at least 18 years of age. A 17 year old may vote in a Primary Election, if that person will be 18 by the General Election."

Voters can return completed registration cards in person or by mail to their town office or city hall, any Motor Vehicle branch office, most state & federal social service agencies, or a voter registration drive. There is no deadline for voter registration if completed in person. If registering by mail or online, the deadline is 21 days prior to the election. If registering through a qualified state agency, the deadlines is seven days prior to the election.

When registering for the first time in Maine, voters must provide documents verifying their identity and residence. The following documents are acceptable identification for the purpose of registering to vote:

• Government ID with a photo (i.e. driver’s license, State ID, valid U.S. Passport, military ID, ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe)
• Government ID without photo (i.e. certified birth certificate or signed Social Security card)
• Other official document showing the name and address of voter (i.e. eligibility for public benefits, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck)
• Student photo ID from a state-approved public or private school or institute of higher education in Maine
• Maine driver’s license number or last four digits of Social Security Number

Automatic registration

On June 19, 2019, Gov. Janet Mills signed an automatic voter registration bill into law that was scheduled for implementation in 2022. The law registers voters through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Maine has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Governor Janet T. Mills (D) signed L.D. 1126 into law on July 9, 2021, allowing online voter registration in Maine. This legislation went into effect on November 1, 2023.

Same-day registration

Maine allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Maine, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Maine does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Maine voter information lookup service allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Maine does not require voters to present identification while voting. If a voter registers to vote on Election Day, he or she must provide identification and proof of residence.

See also

2024 measures

• 2024 ballot measures
• Bond issues on the ballot

Maine

• Maine ballot measures
• Maine ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Maine LD 416