2016 Maine Question 1

Question 1: Citizen Initiative
An Act To Legalize Marijuana
Results
Choice
Votes %
Yes 381,768 50.26%
No 377,773 49.74%
Valid votes 759,541 98.43%
Invalid or blank votes 12,120 1.57%
Total votes 771,661 100.00%

Results by county

Yes

  70–80%
  60–70%
  50–60%

No

  80–90%
  70–80%
  60–70%
  50–60%

Maine Question 1, formally An Act to Legalize Marijuana,[1] is a citizen-initiated referendum question that qualified for the Maine November 8, 2016 statewide ballot. It was qualified for the ballot after a Maine Superior Court judge ordered that petitions rejected by the Maine Secretary of State be reconsidered. The proposal sought to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Maine for those over the age of 21, and institute a 10 percent tax on its sale. As the Maine Legislature and Governor Paul LePage declined to enact the proposal as written, it appeared on the ballot along with elections for President of the United States, Maine's two U.S. House seats, the Legislature, other statewide ballot questions, and various local elections.

According to uncertified results, the referendum passed by 50.3% to 49.7%, a margin of under 5,000 votes. On November 10, two days after the election, the Associated Press called the result in favor of the "Yes" vote.[2] However, opponents of the measure requested a recount and then withdrew their request on December 17.[3][4]

After the partially completed recount, the results were certified as 381,768 in favor and 377,773 opposed.[5] As of 2024, Question 1's results remain the narrowest margin of victory for any successful marijuana legalization measure in U.S. history.

  1. ^ "Maine Citizen's Guide to the Referendum Election" (PDF). maine.gov. November 8, 2016.
  2. ^ Patrick Whittle, Marijuana to become legal in Maine; Question 1 passes with narrow margin, Lewiston, Maine: Associated Press – via Sun-Journal [permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Opponents push for recount over outcome of Maine’s recreational marijuana vote
  4. ^ Quimby, Beth (17 December 2016). "Opponents drop recount effort, acknowledge that Maine voters approved legalized marijuana". The Portland Press-Herald. MaineToday Media. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Tabulations for Elections held in 2016". Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions. Maine Department of the Secretary of State. Retrieved 9 March 2017.