An Act To Implement Ranked-choice Voting for All State Primary Elections and for General Elections for the Offices of United States Senator and United States Representative to Congress
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1624
Committee Amendment CA_B_S301 (Senate)
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1, 21-A MRSA §601, 21-A MRSA §695, 21-A MRSA §722, 21-A MRSA §723, 21-A MRSA §723-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ~0,, to S.P. 577, L.D. 1624, "RESOLUTION, 
Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Implement Ranked-choice 
Voting" 
Amend the resolution by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Implement Ranked-choice Voting for All State Primary Elections and 
for General Elections for the Offices of United States Senator and United States 
Representative to Congress' 
Amend the resolution by striking out everything after the title and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1, sub-§27-C, as enacted by IB 2015, c. 3, §1, is repealed 
and the following enacted in its place: 
27-C. Elections determined by ranked-choice voting. "Elections determined by 
ranked-choice voting" means: 
A. 
Primary elections for the offices of United States Senator, United States 
Representative to Congress, Governor, State Senator and State Representative; 
B. General and special elections for the offices of United States Senator and United 
States Representative to Congress; and 
C. General and special elections for the offices of Governor, State Senator and State 
Representative. 
This paragraph takes effect only if an amendment to the Constitution of Maine, 
Article IV, Part First, Section 5, Article IV, Part Second, Sections 4 and 5 and Article 
V, Part First, Section 3 that authorizes the Legislature, by proper enactment, to 
determine the method by which the Governor and members of the State Senate and 
House of Representatives are elected is ratified. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" '(3» to S.P. 577, L.D. 1624 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §601, sub-§2, 1J, as enacted by IB 2015, c. 3, §3, is 
amended to read: 
J. For offioes eleoted elections determined by ranked-choice voting, the ballot must 
be simple and easy to understand and allow a voter to rank candidates for an office in 
order of preference. A voter may include no more than one write-in candidate among 
that voter's ranked choices for each office. 
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §695, first 1, as amended by PL 2001, c. 516, §10, is further 
amended to read: 
Except for elections determined by ranked-choice voting, the following provisions 
apply to the counting of ballots. The election clerks shall count the ballots under the 
supervision of the warden as soon as the polls are closed, except that if, in the opinion of 
the municipal clerk the public interests will best be served, referendum ballots may be 
counted on the day immediately following the election, as long as the count is completed 
within 24 hours after the polls are closed. If referendum ballots are counted under this 
exception, the municipal clerk is responsible for the security and safekeeping of the 
ballots until the count has been completed. 
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §722, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2017, c. 141, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
1. How tabulated. The Secretaiy of State shall tabulate all votes that appear by an 
election return to have been cast for each question or candidate whose name appeared on 
the ballot. 
For offioes eleoted elections determined by ranked-choice voting, the 
Secretary of State shall tabulate the votes according to the ranked-choice voting method 
described in section 723-A. The Secretary of State shall tabulate the votes that appear by 
an election return to have been cast for a declared write-in candidate based on a recount 
requested and conducted pursuant to section 737-A, subsection 2-A. 
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §723, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2009, c. 253, §38, is 
fmiher amended to read: 
1. Primary election. In a primary election, the person who receives a plurality of 
the votes east is determined the winner pursuant to section 723-A for nomination to any 
office, as long as there is at least one vote cast for that office, is nominated for that office, 
except for write-in candidates under paragraph A. 
A. A write-in candidate who complies with either section 722-A or section 737-A, 
subsection 2-A and who fulfills the other qualifications under section 334, may be 
nominated at the primary election if that person receives a number of valid write-in 
votes equal to at least twice the minimum number of signatures required under 
section 335, subsection 5, on a primary petition for a candidate for that office. 
B. The Secretary of State shall immediately certify by mail the nomination of each 
person nominated by the primary election. 
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §723, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2009, c. 253, §39, is 
further amended to read: 
2. Other elections. In any other election except for those determined by ranked-
choice voting, the person who receives a plurality of the votes cast for election to any 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITIEE AMENDMENT" f!>" to S.P. 577, L.D. 1624 
office, as long as there is at least one vote cast for that office, is elected to that office, 
except that a write-in candidate must also comply with either section 722-A or section 
737-A, subsection 2-A. 
Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §723-A, sub-§2, as enacted by IB 2015, c. 3, §5, is amended 
to read: 
2. Procedures. Except as provided in subsections 3 and 4, the following procedures 
are used to determine the winner m of an election for an office elected determined by 
ranked-choice voting. Tabulation must proceed in rounds. In each round, the number of 
votes for each continuing candidate must be counted. Each continuing ballot counts as 
one vote for its highest-ranked continuing candidate for that round. Exhausted ballots are 
not counted for any continuing candidate. The round then ends with one of the following 
potential outcomes. 
A. If there are 2 or fewer continuing candidates, the candidate with the most votes is 
declared the winner of the election. 
B. If there are more than 2 continuing candidates, the last-place candidate is defeated 
and a new round begins. 
Sec. 8. 21-A MRSA §723-A, sub-§5, as enacted by IB 2015, c. 3, §5, is amended 
to read: 
5. 
Effect on rights of political parties. 
For all statutory and constitutional 
provisions in the State pertaining to the rights of political parties, the number of votes cast 
for a party's candidate for an office elected determined by ranked-choice voting is the 
number of votes credited to that candidate after the initial counting in the first round 
described in subsection 2. 
Sec. 9. 21-A MRSA §723-A, sub-§5-A is enacted to read: 
5-A. Rules. The Secretary of State shall adopt rules for the proper and efficient 
administration of elections determined by ranked-choice voting. At a minimum, rules 
required under this subsection must include procedures, as determined appropriate by the 
Secretary of State, for requesting and conducting recounts of the results as determined in 
the rounds of tabulation described in subsection 2. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this 
subsection are routine technical rules as defined by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 10. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF 
State Police 0291 
Initiative: Provides funding to implement ranked-choice voting for primary elections and 
general and special elections for the offices of United States Senator and United States 
Representative to Congress. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMIITEE AMENDMENT" 8" to S.P. 577, L.D. 1624 
GENERAL FUND 
Personal Services 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
HIGHWAY FUND 
Personal Services 
All Other 
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL 
PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
HIGHWAY FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
SECRETARY OF STATE,DEPARTMENT OF 
Bureau of Administrative Services and Corporations 0692 
2017-18 
$63,904 
$32,864 
$96,768 
2017-18 
$34,410 
$17,696 
$52,106 
2017-18 
$96,768 
$52,106 
$148,874 
2018-19 
$63,904 
$32,864 
$96,768 
2018-19 
$34,410 
$17,696 
$52,106 
2018-19 
$96,768 
$52,106 
$148,874 
Initiative: Provides funding to implement ranked-choice voting for primary elections and 
general and special elections for the offices of United States Senator and United States 
Representative to Congress. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2017-18 
$684,790 
$684,790 
2017-18 
$684,790 
$684,790 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2018-19 
$542,440 
$542,440 
2018-19 
$542,440 
$542,440 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "8" to S.P. 577, L.D. 1624 
SECTION TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
HIGHWAY FUND 
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
SUMMARY 
2017-18 
$781,558 
$52,106 
$833,664 
2018-19 
$639,208 
$52,106 
$691,314 
This amendment, which replaces the constitutional resolution, is one of 2 reports of 
the committee. This amendment does not affect the use of the ranked-choice voting 
method for the primary nomination elections to the office of the Governor and to the 
Legislature. 
The amendment requires the ratification of an amendment to the 
Constitution of Maine that approves the use of the ranked-choice voting method for those 
offices before that method may be used. 
This amendment requires the Secretary of State to adopt routine technical rules for 
the administration of ranked-choice voting, including the administration of recounts. 
This amendment also provides funding to the Secretary of State and the Department 
of Public Safety to implement ranked-choice voting. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/17/17 feac. 
LD 1624 
LR 2373(03) 
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Implement Ranked-choice 
Voting 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "t3' ( S- 30 U 
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2017-18 
$781,558 
$52,106 
$781,558 
$52,106 
FY 2018-19 
$639,208 
$52,106 
$639,208 
$52,106 
Projections 
FY 2019-20 
$639,208 
$52,106 
$639,208 
$52,106 
Projections 
FY 2020-21 
$639,208 
$52,106 
$639,208 
$52,106 
This bill implements ranked-choice voting for p1imary elections and general and special elections for the offices of 
United States Senator and United States Representative to Congress. It includes General Fund appropriations to the 
Department of Secretary of State of $684, 790 in fiscal year 2017-18 and $54,2440 in fiscal year 2018-19 and to the 
Depaiiment of Public Safety of $96, 7 68 beginning in fiscal year 2017-18. It also includes Highway Fund allocations 
to the Department of Public Safety of $52,106 beginning in fiscal year 2017-18. 
LR2373(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1