Oxford resident Rae Edwards (left) checks in with ballot clerks Lynn Hamper and Jennette St. Pierre on election day. This is the second time polling has taken place at Oxford’s town office on Pottle Road. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat
REGION — Even with no political races on local ballots during November 2023 elections, Oxford Hills polling places saw high voter turnout with three citizens’ initiatives and five constitutional amendment questions to decide.
In Oxford, one additional question was included, asking voters to transfer ownership of the Kay House Museum on Pleasant Street from the town to the Oxford Historical Society. With the board of selectmen, town manager and historical society all supporting the measure, it overwhelmingly passed with a vote of 998 yes and 97 no.
As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, results were provided by Waterford, Oxford, Norway and Paris. Harrison and Hebron came in Wednesday morning. Otisfield could not be reached.
| YES | NO | |
| Question 1: Do you want to bar some quasi-governmental entities and all consumer-owned electric utilities from taking on more than $1 billion in debt unless they get statewide voter approval? | ||
| Waterford: | 336 | 180 |
| Oxford: | 761 | 322 |
| Paris: | 850 | 431 |
| Norway: | 958 | 487 |
| Harrison: | 608 | 297 |
| Hebron: | 225 | 117 |
| 3,738 | 1,834 | |
| Question 2: Do you want to ban foreign governments and entities that they own, control, or influence from making campaign contributions or financing communications for or against candidates or ballot questions? | ||
| Waterford: | 458 | 65 |
| Oxford: | 922 | 171 |
| Paris: | 1,101 | 183 |
| Norway: | 1,279 | 189 |
| Harrison: | 809 | 106 |
| Hebron: | 281 | 64 |
| 4,850 | 778 | |
| Question 3: Do you want to create a new power company governed by an elected board to acquire and operate existing for-profit electricity transmission and distribution facilities in Maine? | ||
| Waterford: | 165 | 361 |
| Oxford: | 246 | 855 |
| Paris: | 357 | 943 |
| Norway: | 467 | 1,008 |
| Harrison: | 244 | 681 |
| Hebron: | 67 | 281 |
| 1,546 | 4,129 | |
| Question 4: Do you want to require vehicle manufacturers to standardize on-board diagnostic systems and provide remote access to those systems and mechanical data to owners and independent repair facilities? | ||
| Waterford: | 406 | 117 |
| Oxford: | 883 | 214 |
| Paris: | 1,064 | 233 |
| Norway: | 1,224 | 247 |
| Harrison: | 803 | 115 |
| Hebron: | 282 | 67 |
| 4,447 | 1,207 | |
| Question 5: Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to change the time period for judicial review of the validity of written petitions from within 100 days from the date of filing to within 100 business days from the date of filing of a written petition in the office of the Secretary of State, with an exception for petitions filed within 30 calendar days before or after a general election? | ||
| Waterford: | 245 | 266 |
| Oxford: | 497 | 573 |
| Paris: | 667 | 596 |
| Norway: | 806 | 631 |
| Harrison: | 492 | 410 |
| Hebron: | 162 | 172 |
| 2,869 | 2,648 | |
| Question 6: Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to require that all of the provisions of the Constitution be included in the official printed copies of the Constitution prepared by the Secretary of State? | ||
| Waterford: | 345 | 167 |
| Oxford: | 696 | 380 |
| Paris: | 878 | 389 |
| Norway: | 1,048 | 397 |
| Harrison: | 650 | 260 |
| Hebron: | 218 | 119 |
| 3,835 | 1,712 | |
| Question 7: Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to remove a provision requiring a circulator of a citizen’s initiative or people’s veto petition to be a resident of Maine and a registered voter in Maine, requirements that have been ruled unconstitutional in federal court? | ||
| Waterford: | 158 | 348 |
| Oxford: | 229 | 831 |
| Paris: | 357 | 896 |
| Norway: | 425 | 1,003 |
| Harrison: | 222 | 667 |
| Hebron: | 78 | 257 |
| 1,469 | 4,002 | |
| Question 8: Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to remove a provision prohibiting a person under guardianship for reasons of mental illness from voting for Governor, Senators and Representatives, which the United States District Court for the District of Maine found violates the United States Constitution and federal law? | ||
| Waterford: | 220 | 288 |
| Oxford: | 397 | 669 |
| Paris: | 524 | 739 |
| Norway: | 647 | 795 |
| Harrison: | 364 | 528 |
| Hebron: | 129 | 211 |
| 2,281 | 3,230 | |
Assistant Town Clerk Kathleen Dillingham (left) and Town Clerk Wendy Friberg oversaw Oxford’s polling during Tuesday’s November 2023 election. They reported that voter turnout was brisk and the process ran smoothly. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat
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