I have just read the editorial in the March 15 Portland Press Herald regarding ranked-choice voting (“Our View: Maine election officials shouldn’t delay ranked-choice planning”).
Some 400,000 Mainers (Republicans, Democrats, independents, Greens and Libertarians) voted to approve ranked-choice voting last November. The law took effect in January of this year, ideally to be implemented by the Secretary of State’s Office in time for the 2018 elections. Ranked-choice voting means that the majority (not just a plurality) of voters will elect a candidate, thereby making each vote truly count.
However, rather than simply respecting the will of the people, the Maine Legislature has opted to delay implementation. In February, they passed the buck to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, taking the first step in what is almost certainly an effort to weaken or repeal the law. The Legislature should implement ranked-choice voting and dispense with this unnecessary fiddling with and delay of a much-needed and welcome change to our voting laws.
I also urge readers to go to the League of Women Voters of Maine website to review their nonpartisan, well-reasoned statement in support of the ranked-choice voting law.
Deborah Schneider
Falmouth
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