Mainers vote against new utility, approve restoration of tribal obligations to printed constitutions

By PATRICK WHITTLE and DAVID SHARP
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine voters faced a busy ballot on Tuesday in an off-year election. Mainers turned down an attempt to oust the state’s corporate-owned electric utilities, while they approved one to stop foreign spending in referendums. Voters also decided to restore language about honoring obligations to Native American tribes to printed versions of the constitution. Mainers also voted against removing a requirement that referendum petition gatherers be Maine residents, despite the provision being ruled unconstitutional. The state’s busy slate of referendums comes a year before Maine will likely once again emerge as a battleground for a congressional seat and a presidential electoral vote in its more conservative 2nd Congressional District.