We’re getting ready to publish our annual ballot for readers on the top Maine stories of the year. We’ll publish the ballot in an upcoming Sunday Insight section and at pressherald.com, then run the results at the end of December.

It’s always an interesting exercise looking through the headlines of the year to put together the ballot for readers, and then to compare what readers chose as the top stories and what our news staff chose. Last year, for example, readers’ top choice was the Newry quadruple homicide. The staff's choice was the debate over the proposed Taxpayer Bill of Rights referendum.

This year, the ballot choices will include school consolidation, birth control at Portland’s King Middle School and the proposed sale of Verizon to FairPoint Communications. It’ll be interesting to see if one of those stories places in the top 10, or whether readers go for something else.

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