Ranked-choice voting is a system “designed to change election outcomes and messages,” and alter the Maine Republican Party, the party said in its latest court filing over the controversial election method. Monday’s filing supports a federal court lawsuit the party filed to stop the use of ranked-choice voting, which was adopted by Maine voters in […]
ranked choice voting
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Matt Dunlap says GOP lawsuit over ranked-choice voting is based on speculation
The Maine Republican Party’s claim in a federal lawsuit that ranked-choice voting could lead to the election of a candidate who was not truly the party’s “standard-bearer” is based only on speculation, an attorney for Secretary of State Matt Dunlap said in a formal response to the suit. “The underlying factual assumptions for this theory […]
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Posted inLetters, sj-web
Ranked-choice baloney
Ranked-choice voting is nothing more than judging, be it someone’s character, an animal, fish, movie, or inanimate object, and perfectly acceptable for events such as who gets the blue ribbon for the best-tasting apple pie at the county fair. It has no place in political elections. Primary elections usually have several candidates seeking an office. […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Lewiston spreading the word on ranked-choice voting
LEWISTON — The City Clerk’s office has put together an informational kiosk on ranked-choice voting at City Hall in preparation for the June 12 primary. According to a news release Wednesday, the clerk’s office has created a voter information table on the second floor of City Hall with materials regarding ranked-choice voting. Maine will be the […]
Posted inMaine
Maine explains ranked-choice voting in animated video
Secretary of State Matt Dunlap’s office released an informational video on ranked-choice voting Monday, roughly one month before Maine becomes the first state to use the tabulation process during a statewide election. In the five-minute-long animated video, Dunlap walks viewers through the process of selecting candidates in the voting booth on June 12 and how votes […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Ranked choice voting and independents
Ranked-choice voting does not favor Republicans or Democrats. It does help independents, moderates and third-party candidates. That might be why both major parties are uncomfortable with it. The major parties might lose seats to candidates who do not tow a hard left-leaning or hard right-leaning party line, i.e. candidates who would be more willing to […]
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Support for ranked-choice voting
What are people afraid of? Ranked-choice voting is a step forward in voter power. It is not a difficult or complex system — the Australians have been voting that way since 1918, and they are not any smarter than Mainers are. In fact, preferential voting has often been used in local elections all over the […]
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Make your voices be heard
Maine’s June 12 primary election will be here before we know it. I hope Maine has a strong turnout at the polls this year because there has never been a more important time to make residents’ voices heard. An important feature of the Maine primary election is that voters will be using ranked-choice voting for […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
What is ranked-choice voting?
What is ranked-choice voting? Ranked-choice voting allows you to rank candidates in a race from most to least favorite. If your favorite candidate receives the least amount of votes in a race, your vote will be transferred to your second-favorite candidate. The way we vote now: Right now, when we go to the polls, we vote […]
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Support for ranked choice voting
In order for one to lead effectively, a leader must always have a majority of supporters. Without a majority, one will wander about without a compass. Maine’s past eight years have been an example of the state wandering ineffectively. Ranked-choice voting will guarantee a leader with 50 percent of the voters or more. Carl Beckett, […]