AUGUSTA (AP) — An independent lawmaker wants to fix a new voter-approved voting method that Maine’s highest court ruled unconstitutional for some elections.
The Legislature’s veterans and legal affairs committee will consider Rep. Kent Ackley’s bill to bring the 2016 ranked-choice voting law into compliance with the Maine Constitution on Monday.
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank ballot choices from first to last in a system ensuring a candidate wins majority support. The goal is to blunt spoilers’ impact and rejecting party extremists who lack centrist appeal.
Maine’s highest court in May said ranked-choice voting is unconstitutional for state races.
Ackley’s bill would only allow ranked-choice voting for elections for Congress, along with primaries for statewide offices like the governor.
Some lawmakers have called such a split system confusing.
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