In heavy turnouts Tuesday, voters in neighboring Buxton and Gorham eclipsed  turnout records set in prior presidential elections.

Buxton polls opened at 6 a.m. at the town hall and voters were waiting.

“The crowd was lined up at the door to the parking lot,” Hiram Davis, election warden, said.

Voters packed the  parking lot at Gorham Municipal Center during the morning. Martha Towle, the election warden at Gorham’s Ward 2, said Tuesday night amid continued brisk voting, “It’s  crazy.”

Gorham voters, in uncontested Town Council races, chose James Hager, Benjamin Hartwell and Paul Smith. With two seats available for the School Committee, Kyle Currier ran unopposed on the ballot while Stewart McCallister scored 28 write-in votes. Gregory Sundick had five write-ins.

When polls opened at 7 a.m. in Gorham’s Ward 1-1, a line curled around inside a corridor at Gorham Middle School. The contentious Presidential election brought out local voters.

According to  Gorham figures, 9,947 ballots were cast Tuesday, easily surpassing 9,129 cast for president in 2012. The town had 13,348 registered voters this year on Nov. 4, Town Clerk Laurie Nordfors said Wednesday.

In Buxton, Town Clerk John Myers reported 4,898 ballots were cast this year compared to 4,682 in the 2004 Presidential election that established the previous Buxton record turnout. With 6,125 registered voters on Nov. 8 this year,  the turnout was 79.97 per cent,  barely under the 80 per cent Myers had predicted.

In Gorham, voters were still registering at Ward 2 as time was ticking away approaching 8 p.m. The election appeared to have attracted a large turnout of  new voter registrations by University of Southern Maine students.

A university student, Aaron Weiss, declined to reveal his preference for president when asked at Gorham’s Ward 2.

“It’s a tough year to go on record to say who you’re voting for,” said Weiss, a university senior, who said he voted for Mitt Romney in 2012.

Jean Robinson, a staffer at the registration table, said they ran out of registration cards and more were printed. Buxton also faced heavy voter registrations on Election Day.

“They were worried about running out of cards,|” Myers said Tuesday evening.

Gorham voters chose Clinton over Trump, 4,995-3,945. Clinton carried the three Gorham polling places. In Ward 1-1, it was Clinton, 760-615; Ward 1-2 (Little Falls), by a scant margin 643-634; Ward 2, 1,450-1,319; and Central, 2,142-1,377.

Buxton voters backed Donald Trump convincingly over Hillary Clinton, 2,538- 1,895.

In Legislative races, incumbent Andrew McLean, a Democrat, defeated fellow Gorham resident James Means, Republican, in House District 27 that represents part of Gorham and part of Scarborough. In Gorham, McLean tallied 2,788 while Means garnered 2,178.  Scarborough results were not available by the American Journal print deadline Wednesday.

“I am proud to announce that I have won re-election to the Maine House of Representatives,” McLean said in a Facebook posting.

In House District 26, representing part of Gorham, Maureen Terry, a political newcomer, edged Matthew Mattingly, a former town councilor, by 45 votes, 2,302-2,257.

“I am unbelievably humbled and grateful for so many votes for me today,” Terry said in a Facebook posting. “Thank you, Gorham for your trust! I can’t wait to get to Augusta and serve you all for the next two years.”

Don Marean, a Republican, was re-elected to House District 16, defeating River Payne, a Democrat 3,479-2,006. The district represents part of Buxton, Hollis, and part of Saco. Marean and Payne are both Hollis residents.

For the state Senate District 30, incumbent Amy Volk, Republican, in Gorham and Buxton balloting prevailed over Democratic challenger Jean-Marie Caterina. Both are from Scarborough. Volk, who won a second term, took Gorham 5,636-3,980 and Buxton, 2,710-1,264. The Scarborough tally was unavailable.

“I’m just incredibly honored with the confidence and trust that people in my district placed in me,” Volk said Wednesday when reached by telephone. “I want to make Maine a great place to live and work.”

David Anderson, a Buxton deputy town clerk, Tuesday helps a new Buxton voter, Erin Wood, with registration. Wood is formerly of Westbrook.

Hiram Davis, election warden at the polls in Buxton, casts absentee ballots Tuesday.

In Gorham’s Ward 2, Martha Towle, election warden, unclogs a jam while Nancy Connolly, a ballot clerk, is ready to help and voters stand by to cast ballots.

Gorham ballot clerk Nancy Connolly at Gorham’s Ward 2 in the Shaw Gym at Gorham Municipal Center.