Maine to allow ranked votes in general presidential election

Abstraction: Maine becomes first state to use ranked choice in presidential elections

Key points:

• September 2019: Maine Governor Janet Mills allowed ranked-choice voting (RCV) legislation to become law without her signature, making Maine the first state to require RCV in general presidential elections
• Under RCV, voters rank three or more candidates; if no candidate exceeds 50%, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their votes redistributed until someone reaches majority
• Maine voters originally approved RCV in 2016 but limited it to federal races and primaries; the new law extends it to presidential general elections
• Estimated cost of a ranked-choice primary: ~$100,000; Mills expressed concerns about funding and delegate-selection logistics
• Advocates (FairVote) hope RCV could boost independent/third-party influence in Maine, one of only two states that split electoral votes
• Critics argue RCV is confusing and unconstitutional; a Republican congressman unsuccessfully challenged it in 2018 but a federal judge rejected the constitutional challenge

Connections: Fairvote · Ranked Choice Voting · Voting Systems · Social Choice

Source: https://apnews.com/article/188531d476214dadaed5fd1eaf75bca3