LD1666 expands ranked-choice voting (RCV) to Maine’s general and special elections for governor, state senators, and state representatives, replacing traditional plurality voting for those offices. It updates definitions, ballot instructions, and tabulation procedures to reflect RCV, clarifying how rankings, rounds, and eliminated candidates are handled. Wardens will report only first-choice rankings on election returns, and party vote totals are based on first-round rankings. Overall, the bill extends Maine’s RCV system to all statewide and legislative general and special elections.
The Maine State Senate passed LD1666 on June 18, 2025 by a vote of 21 to 14. We have assigned pluses to the nays because RCV undermines election integrity and the electorate’s ability to choose the best candidate. By design, RCV favors moderate-to-leftist candidates who often fail to uphold the Constitution. This complex, multi-round system can result in winners who lack true plurality support, and imposes ballot-marking requirements that may pressure voters to act against their conscience. States should firmly reject all attempts to implement this unconstitutional voting method.