AUGUSTA — It’s all over but the voting.

Following a 30-day public comment period, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap has finalized the wording of the question for the Oxford County casino citizen initiative which will be presented to Maine voters on the Nov. 2 referendum ballot.

The question appears straightforward: “Do you want to allow a casino with table games and slot machines at a single site in Oxford County, subject to local approval, with part of the profits going to specific state, local and tribal programs?”

Fairly concise for one of the more convoluted issues voters will face in the fall. According to Dunlap, the proposed legislation is 19 pages long, which made it difficult to craft a simple, easy-to-understand question.

“We spent a significant amount of time on the first draft, with volunteers on the Ballot Clarity Advisory Committee and the Attorney General’s office. The feedback from the public has led to more changes, which we hope will more closely capture the essence of the proposal and convey clearly to the voter what it will mean to vote either yes or no on this question,” Dunlap said in a press release Wednesday.

On Feb. 17, he certified that proponents of an Act to Allow a Casino in Oxford County had gathered a sufficient number of signatures to have the initiated legislation placed before the Legislature. Members of the House and Senate had the option of enacting the measure into law, without amendment, or sending the question to voters for a final determination. Because the initiated bill was not enacted, the question will be placed on the November ballot.

Maine law stipulates that before a ballot question is finalized, the secretary must “provide a 30-day public comment period for the purpose of receiving comments on the content and form of proposed questions to be placed on the ballot for any pending initiatives.”

His office received about 25 public comments, Dunlap said. “Some supported the question as written, and others made technical suggestions for clarification, which was very enlightening and helpful. The intent of the law was to engage the public and get their input to help us write the best possible question, and I believe we’ve done just that.”