Maine voters won’t have an option to approve a gaming operation in York County after a ballot petition drive fell short of the necessary signatures.
Maine Secretary of State Mark Dunlap said the campaign needed 61,123 valid signatures for the casino proposal to make the November ballot, but said only 35,518 of the 91,294 signatures provided by campaign organizer Horseracing Jobs Fairness were valid.
Dunlop said he might ask the state’s Attorney General to review to petition for irregularities, but he first wants to see if campaign organizer appeal the decision. Horseracing Jobs Fairness has 10 days to appeal from decision’s date.
While he didn’t say any crimes were committed, Dunlap said it looked like somebody simply notarized a stack of petitions, there were problems with oaths administered, and many of the signatures were from people who are not registered to vote in Maine.
In many instances, the signatures of circulators and notaries did not match the signatures on the state has on record.
If the measure were placed on the ballot and approved, it would enable Las Vegas-style casino gaming in Maine.
