Voters may look at gambling

Friday, Jan. 24, 2003 | 10 a.m.

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Mainers may be asked to vote on two gambling-related referendum proposals next November.

Advocates for separate initiatives seeking to allow slot machines and a casino turned in petitions signed by tens of thousands of Maine voters before Thursday afternoon's deadline closed in.

Maine Indian leaders pushed wheel carts stacked with 19 cartons of petitions into state election offices. Leaders said they turned in 55,000 certified voters' signatures -- nearly 5,000 more than they need to force a vote next fall.

Also turning in petitions Thursday were harness racing interests, who said they delivered 64,000 validated signatures to the secretary of state's office.

The harness racing industry wants to be allowed to have slot machines at Maine's two commercial harness racing tracks

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