Maines maverick approach to conducting elections brings a bit of added national interest to the states four electoral votes. All Rights Reserved. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. As a result, its effective date was slated to occur after the March 3 presidential primaries, allowing for the implementation of RCV in the 2020 general election only. Associated Press In 1972, the state adopted a system called the congressional district method for its assignment of Electoral College votes. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. The Maine State Senate, however, failed to adopt the legislation by the close of the regular legislative session in June. Support Intelligent, In-Depth, Trustworthy Journalism. External Relations: Moira Delaney Hannah Nelson Caroline Presnell } But Maine has long taken a stand against the whole winner-take-all philosophy that prevails in the rest of the country. Robert Alexander is the Wilfred E. Binkley endowed professor of political science and the director of the Institute for Civics and Public Policy at Ohio Northern University. The state supreme court issued an advisory opinion finding that using ranked-choice voting for state-level general elections would violate the state constitution. text-decoration: none; Read more President On May 23, 2017, the court issued a unanimous advisory opinion finding that the law violated the state constitution:[32][33], Accordingly, the Act is not simply another method of carrying out the Constitutions requirement of a plurality. Graphs are temporarily unavailable due to technical issues. $(this).addClass('selected-button'); } Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job. Download the mobile app to save your choices. Murphy wrote the following in her opinion: "The uncertainty that halting the ranked-choice voting implementation process at this late date is significant. widget_load_check_dom() This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. While the Electoral College has been resistant to change, the path to its demise has found new momentum in state legislatures. Vote-tallying methods for single-winner election systems include, but are not limited to, the following: Vote-tallying methods for multi-winner election systems include, but are not limited to, the following: The states have the authority to determine which electoral systems they will use in contests for state-level offices. Maine utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[2][3][4][5]. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. [36], On October 23, 2017, the Maine State Legislature convened a special legislative session. [24] He also said that the veto referendum would not be printed on ballots. Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker. "[53], A hearing, with Judge Jon Levy presiding, was scheduled for May 23, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. Levy said that he intended to issue a ruling in the case the following week. Woodbury said that the committee would seek a court order to force implementation of ranked-choice voting in the June 2018 primary election. Maine 2020 Election Live Results - 270toWin chevron.addClass('fa-chevron-up'); Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics Four times the winner of the national popular vote lost #contentwrapper { eligibility for public benefits, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck), Student photo ID from a state-approved public or private school or institute of higher education in Maine, Maine drivers license number or last four digits of Social Security Number. Janet Mills said during her reelection campaign that she was content with the existing abortion law, but she unveiled a proposal to expand abortion access in January in response to the case of a woman who had to travel to Colorado for an abortion after discovering 32 weeks into her pregnancy that her baby would not survive outside the womb. if (document.readyState === 'complete') { newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. Were in the middle of certifying the petitions. If registering by mail, the deadline is 21 days prior to the election.[6]. The House vote, 73-69, capped an emotional day that included demonstrators against the bill holding signs, singing hymns and chanting kill the bill! in the State House hallways. [7], In response to this finding, state lawmakers introduced two separate bills. tForeground: "#444444", However, the rural 2nd district backed Trump by more than seven percentage points, giving him one electoral vote. All Maine people should be stunned by this latest affront to democracy and to the rule of law. This reform could lead to the drawing of districts to be even further politicized because it could affect the outcome of presidential elections. $("div.vis_widget_title").each(function(index) { Rep. Kenneth Fredette (R-100) motioned the state House to amend LD 1646 to set a deadline of December 1, 2021, and to provide for the repeal of Question 5 if an amendment was not passed by that date. The Electoral College emerged relatively late in the Convention as a compromise solution among several possibilities the Framers were considering. chevron.addClass('fa-chevron-down'); 2022: Sen. Angus King (I, 2nd term), 2 Congressional Districts: 2 Democrats | 0 Republicans. [12] Jorgensen was successful in appearing on the ballot. } New Features: 2024 Election Calendars, Primary Maps and Polls, 500 Days Until the 2024 Presidential Election, Live Results: Tennessee State House Special Primary. Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. The following is a list of recent electoral systems bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Maine state legislature. State election laws are changing. Operations: Meghann Olshefski Amanda Herbert Mandy Morris Kelly Rindfleisch The coronavirus pandemic and its devastating economic fallout are two major issues that have an impact on the election. The ease in which Maine was able to refashion its system of assigning electoral votes is due to what is more or less a loophole in U.S. constitutional law. if ($('#vis_xs_indicator').is(':hidden') || typeof VoterInfobyState_Resized!='undefined') { [22][23] On September 8, 2020, Dunlap announced that general election ballots would be printed with ranked-choice voting for president. This also helps explain how the popular vote can deviate from the Electoral College vote. http://ballotpedia.org/Electoral_systems_in_STATE, Methods for tallying votes to determine electoral outcomes, Ranked-choice voting in presidential elections (2019-2020), Ranked-choice voting: adoption, implementation, and challenges, Gov. The term electoral system can refer to the method by which elections are conducted (e.g., whether officials are elected in single-winner versus multi-winner systems) or the method by which votes are tallied to determine the outcome of an election (e.g., plurality systems, majority systems, ranked-choice voting systems, etc.). , Wilfred E. Binkley Endowed Professor of Political Science, Ohio Northern University, Just 43,000 votes in Wisconsin, Georgia, and Arizona, is quite different than the Electoral College, Enough Gaslighting. [2] Unlike all other states except Nebraska, Maine awards two electoral votes based on the statewide vote, and one vote for each congressional district. Next election is 2022. All states but Maine and Nebraska award their electoral votes through the "winner-take-all" system. Joshua Dunlap, an attorney for Maine Republicans, said, "The Maine Republican Party is disappointed in the outcome of its motion for a preliminary injunction. The last Republican to win all its electoral votes was George H. W. Bush in 1988. Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration. Mills allows ranked-choice voting in Maine's presidential elections", "Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions, Elections and Voting, Tabulations June 12, 2018", "March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election: Tabulation of Votes", "2020 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions: Maine Democrat", "Libertarian presidential candidate sues Maine in bid to loosen ballot access rules", "Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball 2020 President", 2020 Bitecofer Model Electoral College Predictions, "Road to 270: CNN's debut Electoral College map for 2020", "2020 Presidential Election Interactive Map", "2020 Electoral Map Ratings: Trump Slides, Biden Advantage Expands Over 270 Votes", "Biden dominates the electoral map, but here's how the race could tighten", "U.S. President by Congressional District", "Maine presidential election results 2020: Live results and polls", "Maine Voter Surveys: How Different Groups Voted", National Association of Secretaries of State, "Maine: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Maine&oldid=1155415925, 2020 United States presidential election by state, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 18 May 2023, at 02:12. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Exonerated member of Central Park Five takes lead, Activist detained in Hong Kong begins final appeal, Stock market today: Asian shares mixed despite Wall, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to defend planned takeover, Trump wants to keep communists and Marxists out, Supreme Court rejects novel legislative theory, but, Severe Weather Potential Sunday in OH, WV, and KY, Strengthening storms take aim at eastern Caribbean, Stormy Start to the Week in West Virginia, Ohio and, Good weather ahead for the weekend in WV, KY & OH, Brother, sister reunited after historic KY flooding, Former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has died, Guardians manager Terry Francona hospitalized after, PGA Tour board reminds players theyll have vote, Katie Ledecky joins an elite club with another dominating, New Mexico State basketball players settle lawsuit, Putnam County Commission approves ordinance banning, Prigozhin has moved to Belarus, and Russia wont, West Virginia State Police to increase patrols for, West Virginias least common baby names in 2022, Grand jury to hear case against man accused of shooting, Hazy future for caregiver payments expanded during, Haze over Great Lakes region reminds US residents, Missing teen sought in Kanawha County, West Virginia, Mayor: Prestonsburg police chief resigns, interim, A heat wave in Texas is forecast to spread scorching, House destroyed in morning fire in Richwood, West, Ohio warns of driver license scam with Ohio BMV accounts, A Wagner ex-convict returned from war and a Russian, Court date postponed for Trumps valet Walt Nauta, The history of West Virginia anthem Take Me Home,, West Virginia woman pleads guilty to charge in Operation, 4-year-old who drowned in Logan County hotel pool, The New StormTracker 13 VIPIR Real Time Radar, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/biden-wins-3-of-4-maine-electoral-votes, Protesters gather near White House and across nation, no wide unrest seen, WATCH: With votes still being counted, Trump falsely claims election victory, WATCH: Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks as vote count continues, How the Associated Press relies on facts and math to call election results. Bishop Robert Deeley of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland called the bill immoral and said it went against the wishes of hundreds of Mainers who testified against it at a 19-hour public hearing. To qualify for ballot access, Jorgensen was required to submit 4,000 petition signatures to the state by August 3. The NPV movement has made significant headway in pursuit of a national popular vote. Maine [19] On June 21, Kouzounas stated that a team would review petitions and signatures in order to challenge Dunlap's conclusion. Were disappointed that the Maine Republican Party thinks they know better than the majority of Mainers. Thank you. width: 300px; A 17 year old may vote in a Primary Election, if that person will be 18 by the General Election. Just 43,000 votes in Wisconsin, Georgia, and Arizona stood between him and a legitimate second term as president. On February 2, 2017, the Maine State Senate voted 24 to 10 to ask the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to review the initiative and issue an advisory opinion on the following question:[30][31], On April 13, 2017, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments regarding the initiative's constitutionality. If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required? [17], On June 15, 2020, proponents of the veto referendum filed 72,512 signatures, at least 63,067 of which needed to be found valid in order to place the veto referendum on the general election ballot. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the state with 48 percent of the vote, according to NBC News results, while Donald Trump secured 45 percent of the vote. I do not presuppose the outcome of that challenge. United States Electoral College - Wikipedia Clarity, stability and public confidence are essential to ensure the legitimacy of Maine elections. Whose idea was that? The primary elections were held on Super Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Tech: Matt Latourelle Ryan Burch Kirsten Corrao Beth Dellea Travis Eden Tate Kamish Margaret Kearney Eric Lotto Joseph Sanchez. This number is an estimate and is based on several different factors, including information on the number of votes cast early as well as information provided to our vote reporters on Election Day from county election officials. .mobile-app-cta { Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. This page provides information on the 2022 elections in Maine, including the offices on the ballot covered by Ballotpedia, election dates, and frequently asked questions. #content { Policy: Caitlin Styrsky Molly Byrne Jimmy McAllister Samuel Postell There is a possibility this could happen in the 2nd district. The more than 62,000 citizens who signed the Peoples Veto petitions deserve to have their voices heard. In the court filing, attorneys for state Republicans alleged that Maine's ranked-choice voting law "severely burdens the Party's right to freedom of association under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution [by requiring] the Party to change the process which the Party has deemed most appropriate for selecting candidates to represent the Party's beliefs and messages. Current state law bans abortions after a fetus becomes viable outside the womb, at roughly 24 weeks, but allows an exception if a mothers life is at risk. Still, the Electoral College of the Framers is quite different than the Electoral College of today. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. "[6], Voters can return completed registration cards in person or by mail to their town office or city hall, any Motor Vehicle branch office, most state & federal social service agencies, or a voter registration drive. District 2 was among the most closely-contested congressional races in 2018; Democrat Jared Golden won by 1% over the incumbent Republican, in the first election decided by ranked-choice voting. Interestingly, Maine didnt exercise its ability to split its Electoral College votes until the 2016 presidential election, when Donald Trump received one vote from the 2nd Congressional District. Florida has 29 electoral votes. Rulings on cases involving affirmative action, student debt forgiveness, religion, free speech, LGBTQ+ rights and elections are still to come. Associated Press. He is the author of Representation and the Electoral College, published by Oxford University Press. Incumbent President Donald Trump ran unopposed in the Republican primary, and thus he received all of Maine's 22 delegates to the 2020 Republican National Convention.[7]. Please enter your name and contact information so a reporter can reach you. On October 1, 2020, the state supreme declined a request to stay its ruling. }); "[57], On November 13, 2018, Bruce Poliquin, the Republican candidate for Maine's 2nd U.S. House District, and three Maine voters (Brett Baber, Terry Hamm-Morris, and Mary Hartt) filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, requesting that the court prohibit the application of ranked-choice voting in determining the winner of the U.S. House election in that district. We know you do. if ($(this).next('div.vis_widget_table').is(":hidden")) { [44], On March 29, 2018, Dunlap announced that he had been notified by Assistant Attorney General Phyllis Gardiner of "legal concerns regarding the implementation of ranked-choice voting" that might prohibit its use in the June 2018 primary election. in the United States are selected via single-winner contests. Instead of producing clear winners as the Framers hoped, the Electoral College has proved to be fertile ground for intrigue and chaos. We hope the court will expedite our request and act quickly to protect our right to select our nominee the way we choose." This bill represents a fundamental shift from the uneasy consensus weve had in Maine for the past 30 years, he said. Maine has four electoral votes in the Electoral College. In November 2016, Maine voters approved a ballot initiative establishing ranked-choice voting for federal and state-level elections. Already registered? Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. rows: 25, WebThe table below details the electoral systems used in Maine for state legislative and state executive offices as of July 2017. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. $(".toggle-section").hide(); Use the form below to reset your password. [26][27][28][29], On November 8, 2016, voters approved the Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative, which provided for the use of ranked-choice voting in both primary and general elections for United States Senators, United States Representatives, the governor, state senators, and state representatives. It works a lot more straightforwardly in largely rural states, he said. Kouzounas said, "[W]e are going to fight to see that these certified signatures that were thrown out by Secretary of State Dunlap are counted. Below is a list of races in this state that received in-depth coverage on Ballotpedia. Since Maine deviated from the rest of the country in its distribution of Electoral College votes in 1972, only one state has followed suit: Nebraska. All states but Maine and Nebraska award their electoral votes through the "winner-take-all" system. width: 800 If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. Biden was able to win those same states in 2020 by close margins and was therefore able to claim all their electoral votes and the presidency too. **Nebraska fontFamily: "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif", In essence, the Act is inapplicable if there are only two candidates, and it is in direct conflict with the Constitution if there are more than two candidates. NBC News is tracking and updating daily the number of coronavirus related deaths in each state and U.S. territory, as well as the jobless claims as reported weekly by the Department of Labor that counts how many people have filed for unemployment benefits. Q: Why does Maine split its Electoral College votes for president, instead of winner-take-all for the whole state? linkColor: "#0b0080", Currently, nearly two-thirds of Americans would support such a change. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. padding-top: 80px; display: none; With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. But Sen. Rick Bennett, R-Oxford, said changes were unnecessary to the current law that he co-sponsored years ago and was signed into law by then-Republican Gov. drivers license, State ID, valid U.S. Passport, military ID, ID card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe), Government ID without photo (i.e. chevron = $(this).find('i.fa-pull-right'); Simply put, the process more closely resembled the idea of one person, one vote. The lead-up to the vote on Saturday saw increased tensions and instances of You can find links to the current election overview pages in the "Offices on the ballot" section of this page. On September 13, 2018, the legislature failed to override the veto, allowing it to stand. }); WebA primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general Electoral systems in Maine - Ballotpedia This page is an overview of the 2021 Maine elections, including the offices on the ballot covered by Ballotpedia, election dates, and frequently asked questions. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. On December 24, 2018, Poliquin dropped the suit.[58][59][60][61]. With two independents on the ballot, the election may be decided by ranked-choice voting. The original version of LD 1646 proposed delaying the implementation pending voter approval of a constitutional amendment that would permit the legislature to determine the state's method of voting. var index = $(this).index() if (chevron.hasClass('fa-chevron-down')) { A three-way race between Republican Richard Nixon, Democrat Hubert Humphrey and independent candidate George Wallace provoked some familiar anxieties among Maine voters. Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution provides that the president of the United States is elected by the Electoral College via majority vote in a single-winner contest. The other three votes went to Democrat Hillary Clinton. It marked the first time in state history that Maine divided its electoral votes. The bill would allow later abortions if deemed medically necessary by a doctor. employ alternative electoral systems. On June 28, 2017, the Senate voted 20 to 15 to reject the House amendments. $(".toggle-button").click(function(e){ City council officials account for nearly half of all recalls YTD - more details in Ballotpedia's Midyear Recall Report, Campaign finance requirements for Maine ballot measures, Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Maine, Ballot access requirements for political parties in Maine, Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Maine, Oil and gas extraction on federal land in Maine, Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Maine, Ranked-choice voting in the 2020 presidential election, Maine's ranked-choice voting law: adoption, implementation, and challenges, Maine Ranked-Choice Voting for Presidential Elections Referendum (2020), Maine Question 5, Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2016), Maine Question 1, Ranked-Choice Voting Delayed Enactment and Automatic Repeal Referendum (June 2018), Committee for Ranked-Choice Voting v. Dunlap (2018), Committee for Ranked-Choice Voting v. Dunlap, United States District Court for the District of Maine, Maine National Popular Vote Interstate Compact Initiative (2018), Election Administration Legislation Tracker, Election legislation tracking: weekly digest, Election legislation tracking: list of sub-topics, Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy, Michelle Robinson, Senior Product Manager, Education & School Boards, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Electoral_systems_in_Maine&oldid=9084773, Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policy, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. We do so by making sure that those who face the unimaginable have the freedom they need to make the decision that is right for them.. Scott Ogden, a spokesman for the Democratic Party of Maine, said, "The Maine Democratic Party has every intention of following the law and respecting the will of Maine people, who have said repeatedly that they want to elect their leaders through ranked choice voting. This prompted state Republicans to petition the U.S. Supreme Court on October 2, 2020, for an emergency injunction that would prevent the state from utilizing ranked-choice voting in the November 3, 2020, general election. The votes just came days after the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that concluded women dont have a constitutional right to an abortion, returning authority to the states. With these additions, the campaign had reached the threshold for placing the referendum on the ballot. Opponents said the proposal goes too far. WebIn Maine and Nebraska, two electoral votes are assigned in this manner, while the remaining electoral votes are allocated based on the plurality of votes in each of their display: none; Generally speaking, elections can take one of two basic forms: single-winner or multi-winner.