Whether you like or dislike ranked-choice voting, don’t forget that there will be two voting formats on the November ballot: One-vote voting choice for those serving in Augusta, with ranked-choice voting for those hoping to serve in Washington.
For governor of Maine, there will be four candidates, but voters will be allowed to make only one mark on the ballot. The candidate who gets the most votes wins, even if he or she only receives 28 percent and the other three get 24 percent apiece.
For the U.S. representative, there are four candidates on the ballot. With ranked-choice voting, voters will be able to rank them according to how well they like them. The winner will have the approval of more than 50 percent of the voters. For voters who like a non-major-party candidate, they can feel free to rank them first. If they do not do well in the first round, the vote will not be wasted. A person’s second choice or even third choice will come into play.
Same for the U.S. Senate. Voters will get to rank three candidates. The eventual winner will be approved of by a majority.
People should not go into the voting booth thinking that voting for an independent represents independent thinking. Voters might be unwittingly helping someone they dislike to win in the governor’s race.
Ranked-choice voting eliminates that conundrum and lets voters rank their likes and dislikes. Voters should keep that in mind on Nov. 6 and into the future.
Ben Lounsbury, Auburn
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