The Lewiston mayoral runoff election will be expensive, inconvenient and unnecessary. Most Americans, including those who endorsed and passed the ruling regarding the election, believe that democracy equals majority rule (more than 50 percent). Sadly, that is not true for many elections involving more than two candidates. In those cases, the winner is often decided […]
ranked choice voting
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Ranked choice voting advocates deliver signatures for 2016 ballot
AUGUSTA — A group of advocates of ranked choice voting has submitted signatures needed to put the proposal on the ballot to Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap. Supporters of the proposal have gathered 70,000 signatures, and they were delivered to the secretary of state on Monday. They’ll have to be verified for the proposal […]
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Posted inLetters
Include the source of information
I read with interest the letter from Sandy Doctoroff, “Ranked choice a better way of voting” (Sept. 5). I found the letter … informative? Maybe. The problem is that before I am able to form an opinion on the subject, I need to look at the data that was referred to in the letter. Doctoroff […]
Posted inLetters
Ranked choice a better way of voting
I support the initiative to institute ranked-choice voting in Maine. Maine, with its history of nine out of the past 11 gubernatorial races involving three or more candidates, in which the winning candidate received less than a majority of votes (i.e., 51 percent or greater), particularly needs such a system. This situation has led to […]
Posted inLetters
Wrong about ranked choice voting
This is in response to Robert Reed’s letter, “Ranked voting has flaws” (July 22). In his letter, Reed essentially describes the ranked-choice voting movement as a sour-grapes response to the results of the past two gubernatorial elections. That is a misguided assumption, as well as an incomplete history of the movement’s progress in Maine. First, […]
Posted inLetters
R. Reed: Ranked voting has flaws
In response to Kent Ackley’s letter, “Ranked choice has broad support” (July 17), that “broad support” is often short-lived and tied to one election result someone did not like. Ackley used the example of going to a grocery store, which makes no sense. Candidates are on the shelf, but comparing to ranked voting means when […]
Posted inLetters
K. Ackley: Ranked choice voting has broad support
Ranked-choice voting makes sense for Maine elections that host three or more candidates. It is a system that gives Maine voters the opportunity to express opinions on a full slate of candidates and it is easy to understand. If three candidates run for a given office, voters rank them first choice, second choice and third […]
Posted inLetters
L. Gilbert Sr.: Ranked-choice voting produces winners
For decades, there has been a problem with how leaders in Maine are being elected, withstanding three- and four-way races in a system designed to support traditional two-party elections. As a result, nine of the past 11 gubernatorial elections have produced non-majority winners. It is not just the principle of majority rule that is at […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Ben Lounsbury: Ranked choice voting would bring more civilty, no spoilers
I and many of my friends are deeply disturbed by trends we see happening in our elections, including: negative campaigning (fear-mongering); excessive influence by large, often out-of-state, campaign contributors who pay for negative ads; and polarization of the two major parties. Polarization discourages independents and moderates from running for office for fear of being labelled […]
Posted inLetters
G. Kimber: No more ‘spoiler’ campaigns
The current, outdated, winner-take-all electoral system is designed around two-candidate races. But the fact is, here in Maine, there are often third-party and independent candidates on the ballot as well. A voting system is needed that reflects this reality. Ranked-choice voting, which will be on the ballot in 2016, would allow voters to indicate their […]