Voters in Maine rejected the expansion of background checks on private gun sales and transfers, on Tuesday. Michael Bloomberg spent millions on what showed up on the ballot as Question 3 and went down by a 52 to 48 vote. This was a major upset for Maine’s gun rights grass-roots.
Question 3, if it would have passed, would have required, in cases when neither party is licensed, that the two parties must meet at a licensed dealer, who would then complete a background check on the transferee.
Background check exceptions would have included emergency self-defense. Currently, Maine does not have a state law regarding background checks for gun sales and follows federal laws that require background checks for all gun sales by licensed dealers
The results were much different in Nevada, where voters approved universal background checks by less than one percentage point. The governor, state attorney general and 16 of the state’s 17 county sheriffs joined opponents of the measure, backed by the National Rifle Association.
California’s Proposition 63 passed, making it illegal to possess magazines that hold more than ten rounds and will have to undergo a background check when purchasing ammunition. Also, Washington’s Initiative 1491 was approved by voters, allowing police and courts to confiscate firearms via gun violence restraining orders.
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