To the editor:
Last week, I took advantage of early voting and cast my “Yes” vote on Question 5, supporting election reform in the State of Maine through Ranked Choice Voting. In a current political climate comparable to the melodrama of the Jerry Springer show, Ranked Choice Voting will encourage integrity and common decency to our process of electing state leaders.
The process is simple. Voters can rank the candidates in order of preference. All the first choice rankings are counted. If a candidate has a majority, they win the election. If there is no majority winner, however, we eliminate the person in last place and reallocate those ballots based on those voters’ second choices. The process repeats until a candidate emerges and wins with a majority.
This method of tabulation creates an essential incentive for candidates to run clean, positive campaigns on the issues that matter to voters. Negative campaigning would only cost candidates potential second- and third-choice rankings.
This simple reform will reinstate ethics and morality to Maine’s voting process. It may even encourage a whole new generation of energetic candidates willing to run for office, to lead Maine in these times of uncertainty.
Ranked Choice Voting is a nonpartisan initiative. It has the support of Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Greens, and Libertarians. This is not a liberal or conservative idea; it’s a common sense plan to benefit Maine’s future.
For more information on Ranked Choice Voting, go to www.YesOn5.me
