Maine saw higher than normal interest in this year’s elections, with about 47% of registered voters casting ballots on referendum questions on election reform and gun safety.

A total of 492,008 ballots were cast in the Nov. 4 election, representing 47.4% of the just over 1 million registered voters in Maine, according to official results released Tuesday by the Maine Department of the Secretary of State.

The state typically has some of the highest voter turnout in the country, something election officials have attributed to laws that make it easier for people to cast ballots and a tradition of strong, locally controlled governments.

In 2024, the state ranked third in the country in voter turnout, with 74.8% of voting-age citizens casting ballots in the presidential election featuring Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

This year’s turnout was predictably lower given that it was an off year without any major state or federal races. But turnout of registered voters was still higher than in other recent off-years including 2023 (43.2%), 2021 (37%) and 2019 (18%).

The secretary of state’s office said the last time turnout was higher in an off-year election was 2009 but did not provide numbers for that year.

Interest in the two referendum questions on this year’s ballot likely drove higher interest, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said prior to the election. The fact that Question 1 impacted absentee voting rules may have also contributed to higher interest in absentee voting, she said.

Question 1, which also would have implemented a requirement for voters to show photo identification at the polls, was defeated 64% to 36%.

Question 2, which implements a so-called red flag law that makes it easier to confiscate weapons from a person who poses a threat to themselves or others, passed 63% to 37%.

Gov. Janet Mills said Tuesday she will propose funding to implement Question 2 as part of the supplemental budget package she brings forward in January.

The Maine court system has estimated the cost of Question 2 at around $1.2 million, which would pay for the addition of two judges, two marshals and two assistant clerks to handle an expected increase in workload from the new law. Some of that money would also pay for system programming updates and for temporary staff before an electronic process is in place.

The red flag law will take effect 45 days after the convening of the next legislative session, which is currently scheduled for early January and would mean the law takes effect in late February.