With no Republicans running for the Portland seat, the primary will probably decide the ultimate winner.

The courts won't save lawmakers who don't like ranked-choice voting from doing their jobs.

Despite pressure to lower the spending plan because of the tax rate impact, the board backs it, 7-1, and sends it to the City Council.

Critics of the law say it could result in post-primary legal 'chaos,' but justices indicate the Legislature should act to solve problems with the voting system, rather than the courts.

If the right people don't step up, the wrong people will have access to positions of power.

The state's elections face little risk, the Maine secretary of state says, because they rely on a low-tech system that has no connection to the internet.

Mark Bedell, a Republican, was arrested Sunday, and Republican leaders say he should end his candidacy.

Rep. Ben Chipman runs against a Republican and a self-described socialist.

The former Cumberland County sheriff seeks to replace Sen. Anne Haskell, who is leaving politics.

He is seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term.

The Republican candidate withdrew, clearing the way for the longtime head of the Portland chapter of the NAACP and former Portland official.

The City Council will appoint a District 5 resident to fill the post for the year remaining in Tappan Fitzgerald's term.

Three candidates will vie for two seats on the Town Council.

Four candidates are running for two seats on the Town Council.

While seven candidates will vie for two councilor-at-large seats, no one submitted nomination papers to run for the District 1 school board seat.

The budgets will add 71 cents to the tax rate, but most homeowners won't see an increase because of the Homestead Exemption.

New positions proposed would be offset by money carried forward from this year.

The proposed budget includes the equivalent of about four new full-time positions.

The June 14 vote will be the second on the issue since 2012.

The combined municipal, school and county budget proposals for 2016-17 would add 41 cents to the property tax rate.

School officials had to deal with a $1 million reduction in state education aid.

The town will join Freeport in considering a ban on plastic shopping bags.

If approved, the $13.4 million education budget will result in at least 12 layoffs.

The $1.4 million transfer station proposal was developed after a town resident was killed in an accident in the compactor building.

The budget would allow the district to add teachers and programs without raising property taxes.

The two men are seeking to serve the remaining year of a term on the School Administrative District 51 board.

The city's Ward 5 will have a new city councilor for the first time since 1993.

Opponents in neighborhoods like North Deering, Riverton and Libbytown outnumbered supporters downtown in the East and West ends

The mayor-elect does a round of morning interviews, meets with City Manager Jon Jennings and starts setting his agenda.

Vote totals Tuesday night showed Noon losing by just 15 to Republican Matthew Harrington in the special election to fill the seat left vacant in July when Noon's husband died.

Challenger Ben Chin got the most votes on Tuesday – 569 more than incumbent Robert Macdonald – but that doesn't mean the margin will hold during a head-to-head runoff next month.

The measure, which takes effect March 1, prohibits stores from using single-use plastic bags. Paper bags are still allowed.