Islanders reflected Maine’s voting pattern as a whole on Election day, favoring John Kerry and the two incumbent congressmen but turning down the Palesky tax cap and the proposal to ban bear-baiting. The bear-baiting referendum passed in five island voting precincts, failed in seven and tied in one.
President George W. Bush scored his sole island victory on Frenchboro, which voted for him over Kerry, 24-20. Ralph Nader had no votes on Frenchboro but 8 on Chebeague, 7 on Vinalhaven and Peaks, 6 on Islesboro and Monhegan, 5 on Swan’s, 4 on Long Island (Casco Bay), 3 on North Haven and 1 vote each on Isle au Haut, Cliff, Matinicus and Islesford.
The tax cap failed in all island communities except Great Diamond, where it passed, 22-19. It failed by more than two-to-one on Monhegan, North Haven, Great Cranberry, Islesford, Swan’s, Frenchboro and Isle au Haut.
The bear-baiting results were the most mixed and reflected an east-west split. The “no” vote (against the ban) was 32-11 on Frenchboro, while Peaks voters favored it, 422-159. The question tied on Cliff Island. Island towns voting in favor of the ban were Monhegan, Islesboro, Peaks, Chebeague, Long Island (Casco Bay), and Great Diamond. Opposing it were Vinalhaven, North Haven, Great Cranberry, Islesford, Swan’s, Matinicus, Frenchboro and Isle au Haut.
Kerry got the most votes — 519 — on Vinalhaven, followed by Peaks (482), Islesboro (318), North Haven (157), Chebeague (149) and Long Island (128). Bush’s largest island totals were on Vinalhaven (249), Islesboro (151) and Swan’s (113) but he won only on Frenchboro.