BY MATT DIFILIPPO

Staff Writer

Voting turnout was high throughout central Maine as residents cast their ballots on a number of statewide issues, including the statewide vote on same-sex marriage and a Taxpayers Bill of Rights.

"It was amazingly busy, all day long, just a steady flow of people," said Oakland Town Clerk Jan Porter, whose town had 2,672 voters for a 58 percent turnout.

Waterville had 5,545 voters and a 48 percent turnout, but City Clerk Arlene Strahan said the turnout is usually between 30 and 40 percent.

"Last year, we had 6,000 (voters) for a presidential election," Strahan said. "So for an election that was not a presidential election, just a referendum, this was very high."

Farmington reported 3,801 voters and a turnout of about 50 percent. Winslow Town Clerk Pam Smiley said the town saw 3,539 voters, 58 percent turnout.

Numbers were also high in Fairfield, which has approximately 4,500 registered voters, said Town Clerk Tracey Stevens. Fairfield had 2,683 voters on Tuesday, Stevens said, a turnout of about 59 percent. In Skowhegan, Town Clerk Gail Pelotte said there were 3,176 voters, a turnout of almost exactly 50 percent.

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap originally predicted a 35 percent statewide turnout, which he bumped up to 50 percent by Election Day. According to unofficial results compiled by the Bangor Daily News as of late Wednesday afternoon, about 60 percent of Maine's registered voters -- 565,975 of 969,912 -- had cast ballots.

In 2007, the last year without a presidential election, Mainers voted on five referendums, including a proposed racetrack casino in Washington County. That year, fewer than 2,200 Waterville residents voted on the five referendum questions. This year, more than 5,000 voters weighed in on each question in Waterville. Farmington more than tripled its turnout at the polls from 2007, when fewer than 1,200 residents voted on each question.

Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com