The Independent View: ME Legislation to Add RCV for Presidential Elections

Thanks to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News for this post.

Maine will have a Presidential Primary, March 2nd 2020, replacing an Unpopular Caucus System.

The Bill, L.D. 1083, "An Act To Implement Ranked-choice Voting for Presidential Primary and General Elections in Maine", would provide for Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) for both the Presidential Primary and for President in the General Election.

But it would Maintain the Current System of Electing Electors by Congressional District and Two Statewide.

The Bill to Add the Primary to the List of Elections that use RCV was hung up on the Last day of the Legislative Session. It cleared Three Votes in the House and Two in the Senate, but it Stalled before a Final Enactment Vote and was Carried Over to a Later Legislative Session.

When the Senate takes up L.D. 1083 for the Final Time, we Hope it Passes. But if that Vote doesn’t take Place soon, the Law won’t go into Effect in time to be used in the 2020 Primary.

The Legislature will convene Monday to Vote on Bond Issues, but Lawmakers currently say they have No Plans to bring up RCV, or any Unfinished Business other than the Bonds, during the Special Session.

If they Wait until the Next Regular Session, which starts in January 2020, the First Maine Presidential Primary that could use RCV won’t be until 2024.

Lawmakers should Not Miss the Opportunity to get Presidential RCV up and running in time for the March Primary.

RCV will be used in the June Primaries for All State and Federal Offices, and in November for U.S. Senate, Congressional Representative, and maybe President.

RCV would be especially useful in what could be a 20-way Democratic Primary Race in which Voters will be trying to decide whether to Vote for a Favorite Candidate or One who is perceived to be more Electable.

Legislators should consider why they want to keep throwing Obstacles in the way of an Election Reform that Voters have clearly said that they like. Citizens gathered Signatures to get the Message on the Ballot in 2016 and it won 52% to 47%. But after the State Supreme Court issued an Opinion that Questioned the use of RCV in some Races, Governor and Legislator, without a Constitutional Amendment, the Legislature and then-Gov. Paul LePage (R) Passed a Bill that would have effectively Nullified the Referendum Vote.

So, citizens went back Out on the Streets and gathered another set of Signatures, putting a People’s Veto on the Ballot, and Clarifying the Status of the Law in all but the Two Elections that would require a Constitutional Amendment. It too Passed handily, 54% to 46%.

Elected Officials and Party Operatives have never been especially enthusiastic about RCV, but Voters have. Through Two Referendums and an Election Cycle of Primaries and a General Election, Voters have shown they understand how to Fill-Out a Ballot that asks whether they have a Preference for another Candidate if their Favorite can’t win. The most Confusing aspect of the System is the on-again-off-again way that it’s used in some Races but not others.

Given that History, you would think that Gov. Janet Mills (D) and the Legislature would do what’s necessary to Honor the Will of the Voters. Extending a Vote System already in place for Existing Primaries to a New Primary on a different Date should Not be Controversial. Members of the State Senate should find time this week to Finish their Work on the RCV Bill.

And next Session, they should send a Constitutional Amendment out to the Voters that would End the Confusion and use One System for All State and federal Races, as Required by the Original Law that was Passed by the Voters.

UPDATE

Tonight, the Maine Senate Enacted L.D. 1083.

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said that he and Officials in his Office are likely going to have to figure the Logistics out pretty quickly, because it hadn't necessarily been on their radar. "We estimate it’s going to cost us an extra hundred thousand dollars to get this off the ground for March," Secretary Dunlap said Monday night. "I’ve asked some preliminary conversation with leadership that has expressed a willingness to have that conversation and I hope that there are sincere because I don’t have the money in my budget to cover it."

Now will Gov. Mills Sign the Bill?