Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Maine voters overturned a law that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, while a ballot measure to uphold those benefits in Washington was ahead with half the vote counted. New Jersey approved borrowing $400 million for land preservation and Ohio voted to allow casinos.

Voters in Ohio also approved a $200 million bond issue to pay bonuses to veterans, as Maine approved $71.3 million for transportation and energy borrowing. Washington voters rejected a citizen initiative that would have limited how much tax revenue state and local governments can collect.

New Jersey’s ballot question, which allows general obligation bonds to be issued to protect land in the most densely populated U.S. state from urban sprawl, received the lowest approval rating ever, 52 percent. People are more concerned about state borrowing and spending because of their own financial woes, said Joseph Seneca, professor of economics at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

“I think it’s certainly a different world today for that question, which typically would have passed easily, in good economic times,” Seneca said before the election. “This year is different. People have seen their home values plunge, their pension assets plunge. The reaction has been an understandable one, that the public sector has to live within its means, too.”

Voters in six states decided on a total of 26 statewide ballot measures. There are fewer questions than usual, even considering that this is an odd-year election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. From 1999-2009, the average number of statewide measures in an odd-year general election was 33.2. The only year that had fewer measures than this year was in 2003, when 22 measures appeared on ballots.

Gay Marriage

Maine’s question, which sought to repeal a new same-sex marriage law, passed by 53 percent to 47 percent, according to preliminary election returns compiled by the Associated Press.

In Washington, a measure to affirm a state law granting domestic partner benefits to same sex couples was ahead, 51 percent to 49 percent, with 50 percent of precincts counted, the AP said.

Another Maine question that sought to limit state and local government spending and require voter approval for tax increases was rejected, 60 percent to 40 percent.

All three statewide bond issues, which total about $671 million, were approved. They were the smallest number in a single election since the National Conference of State Legislatures began tracking such data in 1992. It also was the second-smallest total in terms of dollars, trailing only the $94 million proposed in 1997.

Casino Revenue

Ohio voters approved allowing gaming halls in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo, 53 percent to 47 percent, according to the AP. Supporters said passage would bring 19,000 construction and 15,000 permanent jobs to the state, where the unemployment rate stood at 10.8 percent as recently as August, a percentage point higher than the national figure.

New Jersey and Virginia voters elected governors yesterday, as major cities including New York and Houston chose mayors.

Democrat Jon Corzine, the only governor seeking re-election this year, lost in New Jersey to Republican Christopher Christie, 45 percent to 49 percent, according to the AP.

Virginia picked Republican Bob McDonnell as the state’s chief executive, delivering a political setback to President Barack Obama, who last year became the first Democrat to carry the state in a presidential race since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

New York, Boston

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg won re-election in a tighter race than public opinion polls had projected, becoming the first three-term chief executive of the largest U.S. city by population since 1989. The mayor is founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.

Thomas Menino, who became Boston’s longest serving mayor in July, won an unprecedented fifth term to what the 66-year-old Democrat frequently calls the “best job in America.” Miami Commissioner Tomas Regalado was elected mayor of Florida’s biggest city with a pledge to control spending, limit property- tax increases and curtail development.

Atlanta Councilwoman Mary Norwood and state Senator Kasim Reed were headed for a Dec. 1 runoff after neither received more than half the votes cast for six candidates vying for mayor of Georgia’s largest city.

Houston voters will have to go to the polls a second time to choose Mayor Bill White’s successor, after none of four candidates won more than half the votes cast yesterday.

Detroit voters elected former professional basketball player and Mayor Dave Bing to a full four-year term. The race for Seattle’s next mayor was too close to call after the first batch of ballots was counted.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stacie Servetah in Trenton, New Jersey, at sbabula@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 4, 2009 12:30 EST