Local election results from Tuesday

  HOULTON, Maine — Voters turnout was higher than anticipated Tuesday for the state and local election, according to Cathy O’Leary, assistant town manager and clerk.
There are 3,801 registered voters in Houlton and 1,271 (about 33 percent) voted in last Tuesday’s elections, O’Leary said. The town also registered 19 new voters on Election Day.
    “It was a really good showing for an off-year election,” O’Leary said.
For the town council, incumbent Sue Tortello, Paul Cleary and Robert Hannigan were elected to three-year terms. Tortello received 1,033 votes, while Cleary collected 929 and Hannigan received 897. Carl Lord Jr. also received 459 votes in his unsuccessful bid to the board.
Michael Jenkins was successful in his bid for re-election to a one-year seat on the council. Jenkins collected 800 votes, while Phil Bernaiche received 414.
On Wednesday, Cleary was elected as council chairman and Nancy Ketch as secretary during a special council meeting. Cleary previously served on the town council from 1999-2002, 2003-2006 and 2006-2009. As part of the term limits requirement, Cleary spent two years off the council.
Most recently, Cleary was serving on the SAD 29 school board after being appointed to fill an unexpired term. That seat expired in November and Cleary chose not to seek re-election to the school board.
Three seats were filled on the SAD 29 school board in uncontested races for three-year terms. Incumbent Elizabeth Anderson received 1,054 votes, incumbent Cynthia Hillman-Forbush collected 1,005 and newcomer John Tribou garnered 1,003.
Walter Goodrich (1,143 votes), Gerald Berthelette (937) and Wade Hanson (46) were named to three-year terms on the town’s board of budget review. Hanson was a write-in candidate and according to town officials he has agreed to accept the position on the board.
Richard Goodwin (1,104 votes) and Galen Hogan (1,071) were both elected to the three-year terms on the Houlton Water Company’s board of directors.
Gary Hagan (811 votes) defeated Priscilla Monroe (359) for a five-year term on the Cary Library Board of Trustees.
Statewide, voters gave their approval to a people’s veto and a constitutional amendment, but shot down two proposed casino and racino questions.
Question 1, which asked voters if they wanted to reject a new law that required voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election, passed by nearly 61 percent. A total of 233,378 voted yes, while 153, 231 voted no. In Houlton, voters approved Question 1 by a narrower margin as 679 (54.1 percent) voted “yes,” while 576 voted “no.”
Question 2, which asked voters if they supported a casino and slot machines in Lewiston, failed 174,018 to 211,705. In Houlton, voters rejected the question 535 to 712 (57.1 percent).
Question 3, which asked voters if they supported a casino with table games and slot machines in Lewiston, failed 140,942 to 244,673. In Houlton, the question failed 475 to 774 (61.9 percent).
Question 4, which asked voters if they supported a constitutional amendment to change the years in which political redistricting takes place, passed at the state level 193,826 to 172,807; but in Houlton the question failed 525 to 673 (56.2 percent).