FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Contact: Kristen Schulze Muszynski
(207) 626-8404/ 441-7638

Citizen?s Guide to the 2015 Maine Referendum Election available online

AUGUSTA ? As Election Day nears on Nov. 3, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap is reminding all Maine voters of an informational resource that can help them make informed decisions at the polls: the 2015 Maine Citizen?s Guide to the Referendum Election.

The guide, prepared by the Department of the Secretary of State in collaboration with the attorney general, state treasurer and Office of Fiscal and Program review, is an unbiased and non-partisan review of the issues that voters will consider at the polls this November.

The Citizens Guide provides detailed information about each question on the November ballot, said Dunlap. Voters can see the proposed legislation behind this year?s citizen-initiated question and state bond proposals, as well as analysis of the intent and content of each question. Election law also allows for citizen advocacy statements to be published supporting or opposing questions, which provides voters with those viewpoints to consider.

The November 2015 ballot will include one citizen?s initiative question and two bond issues:

Question 1 is a citizen?s initiative "An Act To Strengthen the Maine Clean Election Act, Improve Disclosure and Make Other Changes to the Campaign Finance Laws."

Question 2 is ?An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Support the Independence of Maine's Seniors.?

Question 3 is ?An Act To Authorize Two General Fund Bond Issues To Improve Highways, Bridges and Multimodal Facilities.?

The Citizens Guide is intended to provide as much information as possible on these complex issues so that voters have the opportunity to educate themselves on the issues. Maine voters are among the most actively engaged in the nation, and were pleased to be able to help them make informed choices, Dunlap said.

Voters can request absentee ballots online via the Secretary of State?s website at http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl, in person, by calling their town clerk, or in writing.