The Maine Republican Party's Referendum Initiative to Overturn the use of Ranked-Choice voting (RCV) in Presidential Contests Submitted too Few Valid Signatures to make the November Ballot.

Maine Secretary of State, Matthew Dunlap, said Opponents of RCV submitted 72,512 Signatures in June, but found 11,178 were Not from Valid Registered Voters, leaving the Petition Short of the 63,067 Signature Threshold needed to get the Question on the Ballot.

The Initiative sought to Repeal parts of Chaptered Law 539, which Expanded the use of RCV for the Presidential Primary and General Election in Maine. Since there will be No Referendum Question on the Ballot, RCV will be in Effect in 2020 November’s Presidential Election.

Jason Savage, Executive Director of the Maine Republican Party, said he was Reviewing Dunlap’s Two-page Decision, which Lists the Reasons why Signatures were Invalidated. About a Third of those Rejected, 3,543, were never Validated by a Voter Registrar as a Registered Maine Voter. In all, the Effort fell 1,733 Signatures Short. Savage said Wednesday in a Phone Interview that the Maine Republican Party was never given Notice that there were Problems with the Signatures and is considering its Options.

Maine Republican Party Chair, Dr. Demi Kouzounas issued a statement on the Decision Wednesday, July, 15th. “Let me be clear. This fight is not over,” she said. “It is abundantly clear that the Secretary of State used every trick in the book to throw out enough signatures through a litany of technicalities to keep this question off the ballot.”

Savage said the Campaign anticipated some Signatures would be Rejected but believed at least 68,000 were Valid and would seek Additional information from Dunlap. The Campaign could Appeal Dunlap’s Decision in Court, but Savage said No Decision had been made as of Wednesday night.

A Lawsuit alleging that Dunlap Violated State Law by Allowing the Petition Signatures to be Gathered after RCV had become Law is before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, but the Decision Wednesday to End the Initiative may make the Suit Moot. It was filed by a Voter on Behalf of the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting.

RCV is used in Congressional Races in Maine and is One of only Two States to Split its Electoral College Votes by Congressional District. The Winner of each District (2) receives One Electoral Vote, and the Overall State Winner receives the remaining Two Votes. There will be at least One Third Party Presidential Candidate on the Ballot and Two Independents are trying to Collect the 4,000 Signatures needed to be Added to the Ballot in November.

The $400,000 Referendum Campaign, a Top Priority of the Maine GOP, reflects Republican efforts Nationally to Oppose Election Laws they view as too liberal or Unconstitutional. About $375,000 of that Money was Paid to Out-of-State Consultants who oversaw the Paid Signature-gathering Process. The Signature Shortfall is the latest of several Failed Referendum Drives by Republicans in recent years, including Efforts in 2015 to Repeal the State Income Tax and New Requirements for receiving Welfare Benefits.

Maine’s First-in-the-Nation RCV System withstood a Federal Legal Challenge in 2018 after Democrat, Jared Golden, Unseated Incumbent Republican, Bruce Poliquin, in the 2nd Congressional District after Poliquin Won the Initial Vote with Less than a Clear Majority.

“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.”










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker