July 15, 2020

By Ramona du Houx

Efforts to Block Ranked-choice Voting Fail

The campaign to repeal ranked-choice voting for president failed to submit enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot in November.

“Voters in Maine have made up their minds about ranked choice voting. They like it, it’s easy to understand and it gives them more voice,” said David Farmer, a spokesperson for the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting 2020. “Even after spending more than half a million dollars, opponents of ranked-choice voting couldn’t convince Mainers otherwise. In November, Maine voters will be able to rank their choices for president in a historic first. Today is a good day for voters and for democracy.”

“We are grateful to live in a democracy where the people have the power to choose the way we elect our leaders,” said Cara Brown McCormick, treasurer of the committee. “Ranked-choice voting is the most promising reform for making our politics more civil and more democratic. Maine people will once again lead the nation when we become the first citizens in America to use ranked-choice voting for president this November.”

The first time Maine used rank choice voting was an impactful election. The Democrat, running for U.S. Congress defeated the incumbent Republican because of rank choice, putting the people’s choice first. It enraged Congressman Bruce Poliquin so much he tried to sue.

But a federal judge struck down Poliquin’s legal challenge to Maine’s ranked-choice voting law and his request to invalidate the runoff he lost to Democrat Jared Golden.

The fact the opposition didn’t have enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot should signal Mainers have decided.“We also want to thank Secretary of State Matt Dunlap and his staff for their thorough review of the petitions, especially given the incredible amount of work involved with the statewide election that was held yesterday,” said Kate Knox, the committee’s counsel.