Former Livermore Selectperson Megan Dion, in back, looks on while her children from left Katie, Daniel and Michael Dion learn about the election process Tuesday, April 26, at the Spruce Mountain Primary School. Polls were open for Regional School Unit 73 budget and annual Town Meeting voting. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

REGION — While there were mixed results from voters in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls Tuesday, April 26, the Regional School Unit 73 budget was approved. Voters in all three towns supported continuing the budget validation referendum process for three more years.

The vote validated the $22.17 million 2022-2023 district budget approved at the district budget meeting April 7.

Voters in Livermore Falls opposed validating the budget by a vote of 43 to 37. They voted to continue the referendum process 54 to 25.

In Jay voters validated the budget by a 215 to 110 margin and the referendum process 247 to 77.

Votes in Livermore were 144 to 113 on the budget and 173 to 83 for the referendum process.

The total votes from the three towns were 396-266 for validating the budget and 474-185 for continuing the referendum process.

In Livermore about 75 people had voted by 3 p.m. and absentee ballots raised the number to 120, Deputy Clerk Jean Tardif said. Voting had been slow, she noted.

The town’s annual Town Meeting by referendum vote was also being held.

Former Selectperson Megan Dion brought her children with her to learn more about the voting process.

At 3:30 p.m. about 200 votes had been cast in Jay, with 45 of them absentee ballots, Town Clerk Ronda Palmer said. Last year more than 400 votes were cast during the combined Town Meeting referendum and the RSU 73 budget validation vote, although there have been as many as 800 for some municipal votes, she noted.

“It all depends,” she added.