Brewer quoted in BDN report on Maine ballot questions, voter turnout

Mark Brewer, a political science professor at the University of Maine, was cited in a Bangor Daily News article about the state’s upcoming potentially historic ballot questions. In addition to the 2016 presidential election, Maine residents will cast their votes on topics including legalizing marijuana, raising the state’s minimum wage and mandating background checks on private gun sales, according to the article. Brewer said opposition to the background check referendum could attract Republican voters while support for the marijuana question could draw out Democrats “a little bit.” However, he didn’t see any questions that would benefit one party over the other on balance, saying, “this is a presidential year,” which will motivate voters, the article states.