Yes on 1

The problem is that with the plurality voting rule in use throughout the United States, the winners of many of our elections, at all levels of government, take power despite the fact that the majority of those going to the polls did not vote for them. We are talking about the many elections in which there are more than two candidates. The electorate splits its vote among the three or more people running, often resulting in individual vote totals considerably below 50 percent, and in extreme cases leading to selection of a candidate who would lose if running in a two-candidate race against any of the more popular candidates.

This is the great weakness of the plurality voting system: the candidate with the most votes wins, whatever the percentage of the overall vote the candidate receives. The situation that gets the most attention is a candidate with little chance of success entering a race and drawing votes that might otherwise have gone to the leading candidates, thus affecting the outcome. Recall Ralph Nader’s role in the 2000 presidential election.

Ten U.S. states have responded to the problems created by plurality voting by holding two-candidate runoffs in primary elections if no one candidate wins a majority in the first round.

The ranked choice voting procedure under consideration in Question 1 on the June 12 ballot in Maine would ensure that in primary elections for state legislative and gubernatorial nominees, and primary and general elections for U.S. House and Senate positions, the winners would have approval, or at least acceptance, from a majority of the voters.

The question arises, why are U.S. jurisdictions resistant to modifying current voting procedures? Is it because political party leaders, who think they know better than the electorate what is best for the state or the country, see an advantage for their candidates if they do not have to win majority support to take office?

No voting procedure is perfect, but ranked choice holds out the promise of reducing the partisanship that currently stands in the way of fully functioning government in our state and in Washington.

Tom Eichler,

Wiscasset

Vote Cote

I am writing in support of Adam Cote as The Democratic candidate for Maine’s governor! I ask you to, also, support Adam!

Adam would be a “calm uniting” force in the midst of the dysfunction of politics that occur in Augusta! He is rock-solid, bright, competent, focused and definitely a leader, as evidenced from his experience.

Adam’s experience does come from outside Augusta. He is not a big political insider, yet has served on statewide boards — for example, MRRA, overseeing the Brunswick Naval Air Station’s transition from military to civilian use — and locally, on his school board.

Adam has had proven leadership experience serving in some pretty rough arenas — Iraq, Bosnia, Afghanistan — for 20 years in the Maine National Guard and also, working for US AID. He was honored by President Obama as one of 12 veterans in the nation for their private sector work as a “Champion of Change” for “Working to advance clean energy and climate security.” He has worked in the field of renewable energy as a small businessman and energy attorney for 16 years and has been endorsed for governor by Revision Energy, a premier Maine renewable energy firm.

With Maine being the oldest state in the country, Adam acknowledges that the state needs a vision and plan to attract and keep young people and grow Maine’s economy. So his detailed growth plan focuses on education/workforce training, being a leader in renewable energy, (which would attract and keep young people), infrastructure, including expanded broad band and building on Maine’s competitive advantages.

Adam is solid on core Democratic principles. He was a founding member of Maine Young Democrats in 2006 and has supported Democrats and Democratic causes for 26 years. Adam has a vision, a strategy, that the state can afford, a clarity for the future, that can unite folks, for Maine’s future!

Please make him as your top choice for governor!

Susan Lubner,

Bath