LAKES REGION – With many towns in the Lakes Region holding local elections in June, it will likely be the county and statewide referendums causing area voters to head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Without local races or referendums on their ballots, residents of Standish, Raymond, Naples, Gray and New Gloucester can focus instead on the statewide questions, county commission races and civic center renovation proposal.

Not so with Windham voters, however. With the town voting three years ago to hold local contests in November rather than June, Windham voters will have a bevy of local races to decide Tuesday, in addition to the statewide referendums.

Also in the Lakes Region, the towns of Bridgton, Casco and Sebago each have local questions on the ballot.

Here is a complete rundown of the issues facing Lakes Region voters Nov. 8:

Windham

Three of the seven seats on the Windham Town Council are up for grabs this year. Patrick Corey is running against incumbent Tommy Gleason for a three-year at-large seat.

A one-year at-large term that was temporarily held by Peter Anania since late last year is also up for grabs, with write-in candidate John Carlberg Jr. vying against Dennis Welch.

And another write-in candidate, Ryan McDonald, is running against David Nadeau for the East District three-year seat, previously held by John MacKinnon, who is stepping down after serving for six and a half years.

The write-in candidacies are rare, said Town Clerk Linda Morrell, who is busy processing the hundreds of absentee ballots that have been returned. (The deadline for requesting absentee ballots was Thursday, Nov. 3.) Morrell said in her 10 years in the job – which she is seeking for the sixth time, all unopposed – she has only seen one other registered write-in.

Morrell explained that while voters need to be as precise as they can in jotting down the write-in’s name, spelling doesn’t have to be perfect, according to Maine statute. However, in the case of write-in candidate John Carlberg Jr., voters do need to write the “Jr.” since his father, John Carlberg Sr., is a resident of the town.

Windham voters will also choose two representatives for the RSU 14 Windham-Raymond School Board. Nine-year incumbent Kate Brix is running against Bethany-Ann Davis and Dawn Perkins. Voters must choose two of the three to serve for the three-year, at-large terms.

County issues

On Nov. 8, Lakes Region voters will choose two new representatives to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, a move that was approved by voters last year and will nearly double representation from three commissioners to five. Although the exact lengths of the two terms need to be resolved at the commissioners’ first meeting in January, the terms will either be one or two years.

The new District 1 seat will represent the towns of Scarborough, Gorham, Standish, Sebago, Baldwin, Bridgton and Harrison. Three are vying for the seat: Neil Jamieson of Scarborough, Annalee Rosenblatt of Scarborough and Lisa Villa of Harrison.

The new District 3 seat will represent voters in the towns of Gray, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Pownal, Freeport, Brunswick and Harpswell. Steve Gorden, of North Yarmouth, and Mark Grover, of Gray, are running for the seat.

Also facing countywide voters this Nov. 8 is a proposal regarding a $33 million renovation bond for the Cumberland County Civic Center. The bond, which with interest would cost about $55 million over 25 years, would pay for upgrades to the appearance and function of the center.

Statewide referendums

While the Lakes Region doesn’t have any casino/racino slated for development, voters here will be asked to weigh in on several gambling proposals elsewhere in Maine.

Question 2 asks voters to approve a slot machine facility at a harness racing track to be built in Biddeford or elsewhere within 25 miles of Scarborough Downs, subject to local approval. Question 2 would also allow slots at a harness racing facility in Washington County in eastern Maine.

While Question 2 deals with racinos, Question 3 asks voters to approve a casino with table games and slot machines in Lewiston.

Aside from gambling, Maine voters will decide the fate of same-day voter registration, which has been in place for 38 years in Maine. A yes vote on Question 1 would continue Election Day registration by overturning the Maine Legislature’s recent decision requiring new voters to register at least two business days prior to an election. A no vote would confirm the Legislature’s decision and eliminate same-day registration.

The last question deals with redistricting. A yes vote on Question 4 would amend the Maine Constitution regarding redistricting of congressional and county commissioner districts to occur the year after the U.S. Census takes place. Redistricting is currently scheduled to take place in 2013, 2023, 2033, etc. The amendment would change the deadline of redistricting to the years 2021, 2031, etc.

Bridgton

In addition to the state and countywide referendums, Bridgton voters will see two local questions on the ballot.

The first would allow the town’s Board of Selectmen to accept Pondicherry Park, a 66-acre preserve in downtown Bridgton, as a gift from the Loon Echo Land Trust. The second would approve a victualers licensing ordinance.

Casco

Casco voters will see a local ballot question concerning a full revaluation. A yes vote would allow the town to spend no more than $290,000 from the undesignated fund “to conduct a full, complete and thorough” property revaluation, including the opportunity for actual inspection, of all real property in the town.

Sebago

The town has two ballot questions. A beach ordinance would set times for the town beach at the end of Marina Road as well as enforce parking restrictions. A separate parking ordinance would be modeled on state law and give the town manager authority to tow vehicles that are parked illegally on town roads.