These are the five referendum questions that will be on the November ballot • Maine Morning Star

There will be five referendum questions on the November ballot. Voters can see other local questions, but these are the questions that will appear throughout the state.

Maine law outlines the order in which questions must appear, depending on the category. For example, carryover measures from a previous election are always listed first. After that, the order is: People’s veto questions, initiated measures, bond issuers, constitutional amendments, and other referendums proposed by law.

Because three of the issues for this November’s session are bond issuances, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn, who oversees corporations, elections and commissions, held a lottery Tuesday at the Secretary of State’s office at the Nash School in Augusta to determine the order.

The lottery was public and could be followed via a livestream on Facebook.

Below are the exact questions that will appear on the ballot, in the correct order.

Question 1: PAC contributions

Would you like to set a $5,000 limit on donations to political action groups that independently spend money to support or defeat candidates for a particular office?

This question arose from a account which was brought before the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee earlier this year. It seeks to limit contributions in Maine to independent political action committees, also known as super PACs. The ultimate goal of the organizers behind the effort, however, is to bring Maine law into conflict with federal precedent in order to have the U.S. Supreme Court rule that PACs must be regulated, as previously reported by Maine Morning Star.

Question 2: Research, development and commercialization

Do you support a $25,000,000 bond issue to provide funds, to be awarded through a competitive process and to mobilize matching private and federal funds on at least a one-for-one basis, for research and development and commercialization for Maine-based public and private institutions to support technological innovation in the target sectors of life sciences and biomedical engineering, environmental and renewable energy technology, information technology, advanced forestry and agriculture technologies, aquaculture and marine technology, composites and advanced materials, and precision manufacturing?

If this question passes, it would provide funding to the Maine Technology Institute for research, development and commercialization of sectors prioritized in the state’s most recent action plans for science and technology and an innovative economy. It stems from a account which took place earlier this year.

Question 3: Restore historic buildings

Do you support a $10,000,000 bond issue to restore historic government and nonprofit buildings, with the funds being issued on the condition that 25 percent of the local contribution come from private or nonprofit organizations?

This question came from a account which originally requested $25 million for restoration projects, but was reduced to $10 million. If it wins voter approval, the process will be managed by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

Question 4: State-wide path system

Do you support a $30,000,000 bond issue to invest in the design, development, and maintenance of motorized, non-motorized, and multi-use trails throughout the state, matched by at least $3,000,000 in private and public contributions?

This question arose from a bipartisan legislation that signed into law in April. If approved by voters, law already sets out how the money will be spent over several years to create the so-called Maine Trails Program.

The law also specifies that one-quarter of the funds will be used for non-motorized trails, one-quarter for motorized trails, and the other half for multi-use trails for recreation or active transportation.

Question 5: State flag

Do you support making the former state flag, which was replaced as the official state flag in 1909 and commonly known as the Pine Tree Flag, the official state flag?

Instead of the blue flag with the coat of arms in the middle, this question asks voters whether they want the official state flag to be the beige flag with a pine tree and a star.

The potential new design is already ubiquitous in the state, appearing on souvenirs, clothing and many flagpoles. While it is already an iconic image, the Secretary of State held a design contest in June for Maine residents to submit their interpretation of the design brief.

Secretary Bellows will select a model flag for the new design, which will be available for inspection before voting begins.