Several ballot initiatives, national, state and local election results served as a reminder of the different worlds the two University of Southern Maine campuses are located in despite their proximity to one another. In the presidential election, the City of Portland voted overwhelmingly for Senator John Kerry by a 71.9 percent to 26.1 percent over President George W. Bush. Gorham bucked statewide as well as Southern Maine trends with Kerry scoring a narrow 50.2 percent to 48.5 percent victory our of 6210 votes cast.
Both municipalities did not deviate much with the overall state results on Question 1, the tax cap initiative. Statewide the measure failed to pass at a 62.8 percent clip. Portland and Gorham voted against the proposal at 65.5 percent and 61 percent respectively. The larger illustration of the difference between the two communities was in Question 2. Question 2 would have made it illegal to use bait, dogs, or traps to hunt bear. Statewide, the initiative was voted down 53.8 percent to 46.2 percent. Portland residents voted for the measure 67 percent to 33 percent. Gorham residents also voted yes, though in a less resounding manner, 51.7 percent to 48.3
Portland residents voted on and passed two referendum questions. The citizens voted to allow the city to borrow $4 million dollar renovation towards the renovation of the Portland Public Library. The other initiative was dependent on the passage of the tax cap initiative. Had the state initiative passed, Portland residents voted in favor of a measure allowing city officials to collect enough taxes to pay for prior existing debt, thus going over the cap amount.
Gorham residents also voted on a referendum question, which they voted down. The proposal to rezone some residential areas into commercial districts surrounding the intersection of routes 114 and 22 failed 62 percent to 38 percent.