Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1624
Committee Amendment CA_A_S300 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" 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: 
'RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine 
Authorizing the Legislature, or Electors through Direct Initiative, To Enact 
Legislation To Determine the Winner of Elections for the Offices of State Senator, 
State Representative and Governor' 
Amend the resolution by striking out everything after the title and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Constitutional amendment. Resolved: Two thirds of each branch of the 
Legislature concurring, that the following amendment to the Constitution of Maine be 
proposed: 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. First, §5 is amended to read: 
Section 5. Election of Representatives. The meetings within this State for the 
choice of Representatives shall be warned in due course of law by qualified officials of 
the several tovms and cities 7 days at least before the election, and the election officials of 
the various towns and cities shall preside impartially at such meetmgs, receive the votes 
of all the qualified electors, sort, count and deelare them in open meeting; and a list of the 
persons voted for shall be formed, with the number of votes for each person against that 
person's name. Cities and tovms belonging to any Representative District shall hold their 
meetings at the same time in the respective cities and to,-Yns; and such meetings shall be 
notified, held and regulated, the votes received, sorted, counted and declared in the same 
manner. Fair copies of the lists of votes shall be attested by the municipal officers and 
the clerks of the cities and tovms and the city and tovm clerks respectively shall cause the 
same to be delivered into the office of the Secretary of State forthvrith. The Governor 
shall examine the returned copies of such lists and 7 days before the first Wednesday of 
December biennially, shall issue a summons to such persons as shall appear to have been 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 577, L.D. 1624 
elected by a plurality of all votes returned, to attend and take their seats. All such lists 
shall be laid before the House of R~presentatives on the first Wednesday of December 
biennially, and they shall finally determine who a-re eleoted Legislature by proper 
enactment, or electors pursuant to Article N, Part Third, Section 18, shall determine the 
method by which Representatives are chosen by popular election. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Second, §§3, 4 and 5 are amended to read: 
Section 3. Election of Senators. The meetings within this State for the election 
of Senators shall be notified, held and regulated and the votes received, sorted, counted, 
declared and recorded, in the same manner as those for Representatives. Fair copies of 
the lists of votes shall be attested by the olerks of the cities and tovms or other duly 
authorized officials and sealed up in open meetings and suoh offioials shall cause said 
lists to be delivered into the office of the Secreta-ry of State forthv,rith Legislature by 
proper enactment, or electors pursuant to Article N, Part Third, Section 18, shall 
determine the method by which Senators are chosen by popular election. 
Section 4. 
Governor to issue summons to persons who appear to be 
elected. The Governor shall, as soon as may be, examine the copies of such lists, and at 
least 7 days before the said first Wednesday of December, issue a summons to such 
persons, as shall appear to be elected by a plurality of the votes in each senatorial district, 
to attend that day and take their seats. 
Section 5. 
Determination of Senators elected; procedure for filling 
vacancies. 
The Senate shall, on said first Wednesday of December, biennially 
determine who is elected by a plurality of votes to be Senator in each district. All 
vacancies in the Senate arising from death, resignation, removal from the State or like 
causes, and also vacancies, if any, \\1hich may ocour because of the failure of any distriot 
to eleot by a plurality of votes the Senator to 1Nhich said district shall be entitled shall be 
filled by an immediate election in the unrepresented district. The Governor shall issue a 
proclamation therefor and therein fix the time of such election. 
Constitution, Art. V, Pt. First, §3 is amended to read: 
Section 3. Election. The meetings for election of Governor shall be notified, held 
and regulated and votes shall be received, sorted, counted and declared and recorded, in 
the same manner as those for Senators and Representatives. Copies of lists of votes shall 
be sealed and returned to the secretary's office in the same manner and at the same time 
as those for Senators. 
The Secretm)' of State for the time being shall, on the first 
Wednesday after the first Tuesday of January then ne1ct, lay the lists returned to the 
secretary's office before the Senate and House of Representatives to be by them 
examined, together 1tvith the ballots cast if they so elect, and they shall determine the 
number of votes duly cast for the office of Governor, and in case of a choice b)' plurality 
of all of the votes returned they shall declare and publish the same. If there shall be a tie 
between the 2 persons having the largest number of votes for Governor, the House of 
Representatives and the Senate meeting in joint session, and each member of said bodies 
having a single vote, shall eleot one of said 2 persons having so received an equal number 
of votes and the person so elected by the Senate and House of Representatives shall be 
declared the Governor Legislature by proper enactment, or electors pursuant to Article 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" fJ<' to S.P. 577, L.D. 1624 
IV, Part Third, Section 18, shall determine the method by which the Governor is chosen 
by popular election. 
; and be it further 
Constitutional referendum procedure; form of question; effective date. 
Resolved: That the municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their 
respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for 
holding a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of November 
following the passage of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment 
proposed in this resolution by voting upon the following question: 
"Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to repeal the method 
by which State Senators, State Representatives and the Governor are 
elected by a plurality of the votes cast and instead. authorize the 
Legislature, or the electors through direct initiative, to enact a process for 
determining the winners of the elections to those offices by popular 
vote?'' 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within the corresponding 
square below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and 
declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of 
State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall 
review the returns. If it appears that a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of the 
amendment, the Governor shall proclaim that fact without delay and the amendment 
becomes part of the Constitution of Maine on the date of the proclamation; and be it 
further 
Secretary of State shall prepare ballots. Resolved: That the Secretary of State 
shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies 
of this resolution necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the resolution and proposes an amendment to the 
Constitution of Maine to authorize the Legislature, or the electors through the direct 
initiative process, to enact legislation for the determination of the winners of elections for 
the offices of State Senator, State Representative and Governor by popular vote. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(Sec aa.ilched) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/17 /1 7 feac:.. 
LD 1624 
LR 2373(02) 
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Implement Ranked-choice 
Voting 
Referendum Costs 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'n" ~ 5 -3,bDJ 
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
,.., 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current bie1mium cost increase - General Fund 
. Month/Year 
Nov-17 
Election Type 
General 
Question 
Initiated Bill 
Length 
Standard 
The Secretary of State's budget includes sufficient funds to accommodate one ballot of average length for the general 
election in November. If the number or size of the referendum questions requires production and delivery of a second 
ballot, an additional appropriation of $107 ,250 may be required. 
LR2373(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1