Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter.
Sen. Susan Collins, whose Portland office was overrun by Maine voters during the Brett Kavanaugh nomination hearings (above), will still compete in a ranked-choice election even if the state GOP blocks its use in the presidential voting.
Maine GOP challenges expansion of ranked-choice voting
Maine, one of the birthplaces of the ranked-choice voting movement, is facing pushback from Republicans who don't want it in the fall presidential election.
Earlier this month the state Republican Party filed paperwork proposing a referendum in November on repealing a law, enacted less than a year ago, allowing Mainers to be the country's only 2020 voters who list their presidential choices in order of preference — with third-party candidate support in all likelihood redistributed to the major party nominees.
Simply gathering the required 63,000 signatures in the next three months would halt the use of so-called RCV on the presidential line in November — which would represent a major setback for an alternative voting system that's been gaining significant national acceptance in recent years.
Ranked Choice Voting Maryland
Ranked Choice Voting Maryland (RCV Maryland) is a nonpartisan, grassroots coalition seeking to build a more effective, representative democracy through ranked choice voting elections. We are a collective of activists and supporting organizations seeking to modernize Maryland's voting systems at the city, county, and state level. RCV Maryland formed to galvanize public and political support for better voting methods after a history of crowded primaries, a lack of fair representation, and low plurality winners.
Can't argue with science: An MIT study supports unrigging elections
Griffiths is a former editor of Independent Voter News.
The beginning of the 2020 presidential election was an unmitigated disaster. Results that should have been reported the night of the Iowa caucuses instead took days as a result of technical issues with an app and inconsistent numbers being reported. Politicos were baffled while accusations of a rigged process arose after the candidate with the most votes didn't leave with the most delegates.
At the center of the controversy was independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, and suddenly the question became whether or not we would witness a repeat of 2016. Was the party once again trying to sabotage the Sanders campaign? Are we looking at yet another rigged 2016 presidential primary process?
Many Sanders supporters took to the Internet to cry foul, while Sanders called the caucuses an "embarrassment" and a "disgrace."
What is Ranked Choice Voting?
Organizer: Nonprofit VOTE
A new trend in election reform is sweeping municipalities and states across the country. Ranked choice voting is a different way to hold elections and allow people to have their choices represented in office. But it can sound a little complicated- at first!
Get a thorough understanding of RCV - how it works, where it's happening, and why it can be a more effective model for electing candidates to office. Drew Penrose, Law and Policy Director at FairVote, will be our featured speaker and answering your questions about ranked choice voting.
Location: Webinar
