To Whom It May Concern in the ballot department over there in the Town Office:
*Not possible for any questions to be put before the voters on a referendum ballot Nov. 3?
*because no questions were filed the required 45 days before Nov. 3rd (making that date Sep. 19th);
Not So. On two counts.
Maine Municipal Association, Town Meeting and Election Manual, Chapter 4, "Referendum Questions," pp. 62-63;
"...orders of the municipal officers for referendum elections be filed with the clerk at least 45 days before the elections can be held. Therefore, if the municipal officers on their own initiative decide to order a matter to a referendum vote, they should make that decision at a properly noticed meeting, on a motion with a second and a vote, and write out an order and sign it and deliver it to the clerk. (Alternatively, if minutes of their meetings are kept...and if the motion as recorded provides sufficient information, that record can be regarded as an 'order.' ")
On Monday, 7-27-09, the following item was listed in the Selectmen's Minutes, signed, Michael Thorne:
#7. "Discussion and action on an 'Ordinance for a Recall Election for the Town of Paris'.(This item was tabled from meeting of 7-13-09.) Motion to put the 'Ordinance for Recall Election' on the November 3rd election and to hold a public hearing at the Fire Station on August 24th @ 6:30, was made by R. Glover, seconded by L. Herrick, all five (5) voted in favor."
The ballot has to be ready 30 days before the vote for absentee voters. A Paris voter was recently told by the Town Clerk that ballots were going to be "printed in-house" to save the town some money. That would make the ballot-ready-day Friday, October 2. Somebody better get crackin'. Paris voters have a referendum issue to consider.
