A voting machine error will delay election results in Scarborough until late Wednesday morning, including the outcome of a proposal to allow Scarborough Downs to add slot machines to its harness-racing operation.

Tody Justice, Scarborough town clerk, said the problem occurred as officials were almost finished running the ballots of about 6,600 absentee voters through a voting machine. The machine suddenly reset to zero, Justice said, and town clerk office workers had to start running the ballots again.

Because each voter cast four separate ballots for federal, state and town races, the process was expected to take all night, Justice said. She also said that under state law, the town has to report all its results # votes cast absentee and in-person on Election Day # at the same time.

About 12,000 people voted in Scarborough on Tuesday, Justice said # half in person and half ahead of time.

That meant a long night for those watching the racino proposal, and opponents feared that the count is not going their way.

"I'm so bummed," said Suzanne Foley-Ferguson, an opponent of slot machines who said she was surprised by the number of Scarborough residents who told her they were supporting the slot-machine proposal.

Mark Maroon, another opponent, said he, too, sensed that the results might not be the same as in 2003, when voters rejected slot machines for Scarborough Downs.
"I think we had some very strong support," said Kathryn Rolston, who was running a pro-slot machine campaign for Penn National, a gaming company that runs a racino in Bangor.

Voters approved a referendum in 2003 that allowed commercial harness-racing tracks # there are only two in the state, in Bangor and Scarborough # to operate slot machines if local voters approved by the end of that year. Bangor voters approved slots, but Scarborough voters rejected them.

A "yes" vote this time will require supporters to get the state Legislature and Gov. John Baldacci # who has previously opposed expansion of gambling # to give local communities another chance to approve slot machines.

Scarborough Downs would also have to negotiate an agreement with the town, and could face another referendum if the council decides to send the proposal back out for a vote after lawmakers act.

Rolston said she believed voters found Scarborough Downs' latest approach more appealing, as it tied the slot-machine revenue to a new "village center" plan along a new road that would connect Payne Road and Route 1.

Scarborough Downs says it needs the slot-machine revenue to pay for roads, water and sewer projects that the new development would require.