Voters next Tuesday will go to the polls to decide five statewide ballot questions - three asking for a total of $134 million in state bonds; one for a racino and high-stakes beano in Washington County; and the fifth for an extension on how long legislators can stay in office under term-limits.

The racino question has attracted the most media attention fueled by the debate over whether gambling should be expanded in Maine, but the most money raised so far is in support of Questions 2 and 3, asking for bonds to fund research and development and capital improvements at Maine's public universities and colleges.

Fight for Maine's Future, which is backing the two bonds, has raised more than $725,000 to date, based on campaign finance reports filed Friday.

Proponents for the racino in Washington County, working through the Vote Yes on Question 1 committee, have raised $701,000 so far, outpacing opponents. Virtually all the money has come from the Passamaquoddy Tribe, which would own the controlling interest and run the racino. Casinos No! has raised just over $255,000.

What arguably could have been one of the most contentious issues on the ballot - the extension of term limits from eight to 12 years -- has generated virtually no heat because there is no organized support waging a media campaign. Opponents have raised $36,960, with 96 percent of that money coming from the national U.S. Term Limits group, which fights to get and keep term limits across the country.

The following is an overview of what voters will decide on Nov. 6.

Question 1 : Do you want to a l low a Maine tribe to run a harness racing track with slot machines and high-stakes beano games in Was h ington County?

This question was put on the ballot through a signature drive organized by the Passamaquoddy Indians in Washington County, with strong support from the county's Republican Sen. Kevin Raye. The Legislature approved the plan, but it was vetoed by Gov. John Baldacci.

The tribe says it plans to build a racino with a horse race track and slot machines in Calais, to generate revenue and good paying jobs not only for the tribe, but for Washington County as a whole - the state's poorest region.

Opponents say the racino will open the door even wider for more gambling in Maine, following the approval of the racino in Bangor, which is now up and running. And they argue the gambling revenue generated will simply be a shift in spending rather than a net gain.

The ballot question also would allow high-stakes beano anywhere in Washington County. Current law only allows high-stakes beano on tribal land and only the Penobscots on Indian Island next to Old Town are operating the game. The tribe says it wants to run the high-stakes beano in conjunction with the slots in Calais.

The law would allow up to 1,500 slot machines, but economic models put together by a professor at the University of Maine show not that many would be needed to tap the potential gambling revenue from the area or from over the border in Canada.

The racino would pay substantial taxes for everything from operating the state's Gambling Control Board, to university scholarships, promotion of horse racing and offsetting losses at Off Track Betting parlors hurt by the competition from slots. The Bangor racino currently pays about 48 percent in taxes on net revenue - after winnings at the slots are subtracted - and the Passamaquoddy plan would pay a little more by adding the Washington County Development Authority and career and technical education in the county to the list of recipients.

Question 2 : Do you favor a bond issue to stimulate economic deve l opment and job creation that would provide $5,000,000 in loans and grant funds and would provide $50,000,000 in research, develo p ment and commercialization funds for targeted technology sectors, awarded after a competitive pro c ess administered by the Maine Technology Institute, and will le v erage at least $50,000,000 in other funds?

This bond and the two others on next week's ballot were approved as part of a larger package by the Legislature in a bipartisan vote earlier this year.

The lion's share of the Question 2 bond -- $50 million - would be awarded for research and development and creation of products in seven sectors -- biotechnology, aquaculture and marine technology, composite materials technology, environmental technology, advanced technologies for forestry and agriculture, information technology and precision manufacturing technology. Those awarded the bond money have to put up matching funds.

This bond is different from previous research and development bonds in that it offers money to private companies as well as non-profit research laboratories. In the recent past bond money was targeted to a group of non-profit labs doing biomedical research, including The Jackson Laboratory, Foundation for Blood Research, MDI Biological Laboratories; Maine Medical Center Research Institute; and University of New England - and to a lesser degree marine research laboratories like Bigelow Laboratories and Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

In this package, there's more money available to more companies and laboratories, both public and private, but the non-profits fear it puts commercialization ahead of pure science.

The proposal also authorizes $5 million for loans to Maine businesses to help develop products and create jobs.

Question 3 : Do you favor a $43,500,000 bond issue for interior and exterior building renovations, improvements and additions at all campuses of the Maine Community College System, the Maine Mar i time Academy and the University of Maine System; to replenish the School Revolving Renovation Fund for school repairs and renovations; and to support capital improv e ments for cultural and educational assets such as museums, historical facilities and libraries?

This bond would give $23 million to the University of Maine System; $15.5 million for all campuses of the Maine Community College System; and, $1.5 million to the Maine Maritime Academy for interior and exterior renovations, improvements and additions.

It would also put $1.5 million in the School Revolving Renovation Fund for K-12 school renovations and repairs.

And $2 million would be used to provide matching grants to eligible nonprofit and community-based organizations for capital improvement projects designed to revitalize downtown areas, preserve and strengthen state and community historic and cultural assets and expand access to digital and educational resources.

Question 4: Do you favor a $35,500,000 bond issue to invest in land conservation, water access, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation opportunities, including hunting and fishing, farmland and working waterfront and to invest in state parks, historic sites and riverfront, community and farm infrastructure to be matched by at least $21,875,000 in private and public contributions?

Through this bond, $20 million would be spent under the direction of the Land for Maine's Future Board, including $3 million to protect working waterfront properties and $17 million to preserve land for conservation, recreation, farmland and water access.

Another $7.5 million would be used by the Bureau of Parks and Lands to make capital improvements to the state's parks and historic sites; $5 million would go to the Riverfront Community Development Program to revitalize riverfronts in an environmentally sustainable manner and to promote river-oriented community development and enhancement projects; $1.5 would provide loans and grants to municipalities for public service infrastructure projects; and, another $1.5 million would provide grants to farmers of up to 75 percent of the cost of constructing or expanding environmentally sound water sources to irrigate crops and minimize drought damage.

Question 5:

Do you favor e x tending term limits for Legislators from 4 to 6 terms?

This question was put on the ba l lot by a vote of the Legislature ea r lier this year, to amend the term-limits law passed by voters in 1993.

State law currently limits members of the House and Senate to serving four consecutive two-year terms. Legislators can either run for the other body when they are termed out or sit out a term and run for same office again.

This legislation would extend the current term limit by two terms, so that legislators could serve a total of six consecutive two-year terms in the same legislative body, or 12 years instead of eight. Legislators currently in their fourth term would not be eligible for additional terms under the law.

Those who support the proposal largely argue that terms limits, in general, are a bad idea because they limit a voter's choice of candidates and give more power to the exec u tive branch, partisan staff and ou t side lobbyists, who have more i n stitutional memory than new legi s lators. While some would like to get rid of term limits altogether, the proposal on the ballot is a compr o mise to allow legislators to serve longer.

Opponents argue that term limits bring new blood into the Legislature, making it more diverse and accountable and less likely to be controlled by long-standing legislators who create fiefdoms. And, they point out, voters like it. Terms limits passed in 1993 with 68 percent support.