Maine Dems rush to fix state elections with illegal ranked-choice voting.
Maine Democrats Push for Expansion of Ranked-Choice Voting
Maine Democrats are on the cusp of passing a constitutional amendment proposal that seeks to expand the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in state elections.
Under RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes in the first round of voting, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and his votes are reallocated to the voter’s second-choice candidate. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.
LD 1917 — which would expand the use of RCV to gubernatorial and state legislative races — was passed along party lines by the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs last month and will now head to the legislature for consideration “in the coming weeks,” according to the Associated Press (AP).
According to the AP, LD 1917 must receive two-thirds majority support from the legislature before it can be sent to Maine voters for approval. While Democrats enjoy majorities in both chambers, they would need some Republicans to support the measure for it to pass.
Legislation seeking to repeal the use of RCV in Maine’s federal elections was introduced earlier this year but did not pass.
Since the implementation of RCV in Maine, residents have witnessed firsthand how the system produces outcomes that contradict the desires of voters. During the 2018 midterms, then-incumbent GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin lost to Democrat Jared Golden, despite Poliquin winning the most votes in the first round of voting. That outcome was due to the state’s ranked-choice voting system.
Among the states to have banned the use of ranked-choice voting in elections are:
About the Author
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is gaining traction in Maine, with Democrats pushing for a constitutional amendment to expand its use in state elections. Under RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference, and if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and their votes are reallocated to the voter’s second-choice candidate. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes. LD 1917, which would expand the use of RCV to gubernatorial and state legislative races, was passed by the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs and will now head to the legislature for consideration. However, it must receive two-thirds majority support from the legislature before it can be sent to Maine voters for approval. While Democrats enjoy majorities in both chambers, they would need some Republicans to support the measure for it to pass.
RCV has been controversial in Maine, with some residents claiming that it produces outcomes that contradict the desires of voters. During the 2018 midterms, then-incumbent GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin lost to Democrat Jared Golden, despite Poliquin winning the most votes in the first round of voting. That outcome was due to the state’s ranked-choice voting system. Despite this, RCV has been authorized for presidential and congressional elections in Maine since a June 2018 referendum vote.
While Maine is pushing for the expansion of RCV, other states have banned its use in elections, including Florida, South Dakota, Idaho, and Montana.
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