Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in Maine allows voters to express their preferences for candidates in elections, particularly for federal and state offices. Here’s a step-by-step overview of how the process works:
1. Voter Balloting
- Listing Candidates: When voters receive their ballots, they are presented with a list of candidates. Instead of selecting just one candidate, voters rank the candidates in order of preference. For example, a voter may mark their first choice as Candidate A, their second choice as Candidate B, and their third choice as Candidate C.
- Multiple Choices: Voters have the option to rank as many candidates as they wish. However, they are not required to rank all candidates; they can choose to rank only their top choices.
2. Casting the Ballot
- Voters then submit their ballots just as they would in a traditional election. This may involve physically marking paper ballots or using electronic voting machines, depending on the local electoral practices.
3. Counting Votes
- First Round: Once the ballots are cast, the election officials begin counting the first-choice votes for each candidate. If any candidate receives a majority (more than 50%) of the first-choice votes, that candidate is declared the winner.
- Elimination & Redistribution: If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated from the race. The ballots that had selected this candidate as a first choice are then reviewed, and the next choice indicated on those ballots is used to redistribute votes to the remaining candidates.
4. Subsequent Rounds
- This process of elimination and redistribution continues in rounds: after each round, the candidate with the fewest votes is removed, and their votes are redistributed based on the next choices indicated on those ballots. This continues until a candidate receives a majority of the votes.
5. Final Outcome
- The process concludes when a candidate secures the majority of votes. In this way, Ranked Choice Voting helps to ensure that the elected candidate has broad support, as it considers voters' preferences beyond just their first choice.
Additional Features:
- Voter Intent: If a voter's ranked choices are eliminated, and they have not indicated further preferences, their vote will not count in subsequent rounds. However, if they have ranked other candidates, those votes will still be counted.
- Transparency & Accessibility: The process aims to be transparent and accessible, allowing voters to express their preferences without fear of "wasting" their vote.
Maine implemented RCV in various elections starting in 2018, making it a notable case of electoral reform in the United States.
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