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A Timeline of Ranked-Choice Voting in Maine

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A Timeline of Ranked-Choice Voting in Maine A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine The Joint Standing Committee First bill is proposed on Legal and Veterans’ Affairs in Maine Legislature of the 122nd Maine Legislature related to the directs the Department of the establishment of an Secretary of State to conduct instant runoff/ a feasibility study of instant ranked-choice runoff voting in Maine. The voting system, LD study report is issued January 1714. The bill dies in 2005: committee. http://lldc.mainelegislature.or Additional RCV bills g/Open/Rpts/jk2890_m32_200 are proposed and 5.pdf rejected by the Legislature. 2001 2003 2005-2013 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine The Secretary of State Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap determines that the finalizes the wording for all citizens’ initiative November ballot questions, Proponents of petition has enough including the initiative entitled “An ranked-choice valid signatures to Act To Establish Ranked-Choice voting receive qualify for the Voting” that will become Question approval to November 2016 ballot 5: “Do you want to allow voters to circulate a citizens’ (if not enacted by the rank their choices of candidates in initiative petition to 128th Legislature elections for U.S. Senate, Congress, enact RCV, during its first regular Governor, State Senate, and State gathering session in 2016.) Representative, and to have ballots signatures to bring http://maine.gov/sos/ counted at the state level in the proposed law news/2015/rankedch multiple rounds in which last-place directly to Maine oiceinitiative.html candidates are eliminated until a voters. candidate wins by majority?” OCTOBER 2014 NOVEMBER 18, 2015 JUNE 23, 2016 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine The Maine Senate Voters approve requests the the ranked- The Maine opinion of the choice voting Supreme Judicial Justices of the question, Court hears oral Maine Supreme 388,273 to argument on the Judicial Court on 356,621. The constitutional the RCV law takes questions and on constitutionality effect on whether there is a of RCV as applied January 7, Legal briefs on the “solemn to general 2017, but does constitutional occasion” elections for State not apply to questions are filed permitting the Representative, elections until with the Maine Justices to State Senator and after January 1, Supreme Judicial answer the Governor. 2018. Court. questions. NOVEMBER 8, 2016 FEBRUARY 2, 2017 MARCH 2017 APRIL 13, 2017 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine The Justices of the Maine During a special session, the Based on this Opinion, Supreme Judicial Court Legislature passes “An Act to the Legislature considers issue a unanimous Implement Ranked-choice Voting in either a full repeal of the advisory opinion at the 2021,” which delays the ranked-choice voting request of legislators, implementation of ranked-choice law or initiating the finding a solemn occasion voting until December 1, 2021 unless, Constitutional and concluding that the prior to that date, the voters of the amendment process, parts of the ranked- State ratify an amendment to the which would require a choice voting law that Constitution of Maine; and it 2/3 vote of both the apply to general elections indefinitely postpones implementation House and Senate plus for State Representative, if the constitutional change is not the approval of Maine State Senator and made. This becomes law without the voters in a statewide Governor are Governor’s signature on November 4, election. Both efforts fail. unconstitutional under the 2017. Public Law 2017, Chapter 316. Maine Constitution. MAY 23, 2017 JUNE 2017 OCTOBER 23, 2017 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine Proponents of The Elections Division determines that the RCV begin the Proponents of people’s veto of “An Act to Implement People’s Veto the People’s Ranked-choice Voting in 2021” has enough process, seeking Veto submit valid signatures to move forward to a to overturn the The their signed statewide vote on June 12, 2018. This portions of Public Secretary of petitions to the people’s veto referendum would repeal the Law 2017, State Elections parts of Public Law 2017, Chapter 316 that Chapter 316 approves Division for a delay implementation of ranked-choice which delay the the determination voting and instead apply RCV to all of implementation Peoples’ of validity – a Maine’s primary elections as well as general of ranked- Veto process that elections for federal offices. Thus, the choice voting petitions for takes up to 30 primary elections for U.S. Senate, Governor, until after circulation. days. U.S. Congress, State Senate and State December 1, Representative will be decided by a system 2021. of ranked-choice voting on June 12. OCTOBER 27, 2017 NOVEMBER 6, 2017 FEBRUARY 2, 2018 MARCH 5, 2018 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine Secretary Dunlap, In preparation for a in his presentation scheduled update to the to the VLA The Committee for Ranked-choice Voting Veterans and Legal Affairs committee, states Committee from Secretary files a motion for a temporary restraining that his office order with the Kennebec County Superior Dunlap regarding ranked- intends to move Court, stating that the conflicting statute is choice voting, legislative forward with “repealed by implication” and therefore staff raises questions about ranked-choice the ranked-choice voting law applies. The whether conflicting voting while order seeks to require Secretary Dunlap to implement ranked-choice voting for the language in the election awaiting any legal June 12 primary. statutes would affect the or legislative use of ranked-choice guidance that may voting in the June 12 affect that primary. decision. MARCH 28, 2018 MARCH 29, 2018 MARCH 30, 2018 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine Justice Michaela Murphy grants the Committee for The Senate Ranked-choice Voting’s temporary restraining authorizes Senate order, requiring Secretary Dunlap’s office to President continue implementing ranked-choice voting for Michael the June 12 primary. Later the same day, the Thibodeau to hire Senate files a lawsuit against the Secretary of State legal counsel to in Kennebec County Superior Court seeking a challenge the declaratory judgment and injunctive relief. Justice use of ranked- Murphy encouraged the Senate and the Secretary choice voting in of State to try to reach agreement on questions of the June 12 law and facts to present to the Maine Law Court, in primary. order to reach a final resolution as expeditiously as possible. APRIL 2, 2018 APRIL 3, 2018 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine The Superior Court reported the Senate’s Sen. Michael Carpenter case to the Maine Law proposes a joint order (S.P. Court, with seven Justice 730) directing the Joint questions of law to be Murphy grants Standing Committee on addressed based on a a request by Veterans and Legal Affairs record agreed to by the to report out a bill that the parties. These are Committee would specifically posted on the Law for Ranked- authorize implementation Court’s website choice Voting and funding language for at: http://www.courts. to become a RCV to address the Senate maine.gov/news_refer party in the concerns. The bill fails. ence/high_profile/inde Senate’s x.shtml lawsuit. APRIL 5, 2018 APRIL 9, 2018 APRIL 11, 2018 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine The Law Court issues its decision on the Senate’s case, finding that ranked-choice voting is in effect for the June 12, 2018 primary election. The decision is posted on the Law Court’s website, http://www.courts.maine.gov/opinions_orders/supreme/lawcourt/2018/18me052.pdf Secretary Dunlap acknowledges the ruling and reaffirms his intention to move ahead with ranked-choice voting implementation. APRIL 17, 2018 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine JUNE 12, 2018 (PRIMARY AND REFERENDUM ELECTION DAY): • Majority winners are apparent in the Election Night (first-choice) count for the Republican gubernatorial and House District 75 races that were subject to ranked-choice voting, so those do not move into the ranked-choice voting rounds. The Democratic gubernatorial race and the Democratic primary for U.S. Congressional District 2 have no majority winner on Election Night and do go into rounds. Ballots are collected beginning Thursday, June 14 and uploading of votes begins Friday, June 15. Tabulation and certification continues into the following week and the final results of the rounds are announced Wednesday evening, June 20, 2018. JUNE 12, 2018 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine JUNE 12, 2018 (PRIMARY AND REFERENDUM ELECTION DAY): • Majority winners are apparent in the Election Night (first-choice) count for the Republican gubernatorial and House District 75 races that were subject to ranked-choice voting, so those do not move into the ranked-choice voting rounds. The Democratic gubernatorial race and the Democratic primary for U.S. Congressional District 2 have no majority winner on Election Night and go into rounds. Ballots are collected beginning Thursday, June 14 and uploading of votes begins Friday, June 15. Tabulation and certification continues into the following week and the final results of the rounds are announced Wednesday evening, June 20, 2018. • Voters also approve the people’s veto referendum question. Thus, ranked-choice voting will continue to be used in primary elections and will be used for the offices of U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress in the general election, beginning November 6, 2018. JUNE 12, 2018 A Timeline of Ranked-choice Voting in Maine NOVEMBER 6, 2018: NOVEMBER 13, 2018: • The U.S. Congressional District 1 race and • Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin files a federal the U.S. Senate race are decided with a lawsuit on Tuesday, Nov. 13 challenging the majority winner on election night. The U.S.
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