An Act To Implement Ranked-choice Voting for Presidential Primary and General Elections in Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1083
Committee Amendment CA_B_S314 (Senate)
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1, 21-A MRSA §801, 21-A MRSA §805

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "l3" to S.P. 315, L.D. 1083, Bill, "An Act To 
Implement Ranked-choice Voting for Presidential Primary and General Elections in 
Maine" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Implement Ranked-choice Voting for Presidential General Elections in 
Maine' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1, sub-§27-C, as repealed and replaced by PL 2017, c. 
316, §1, is amended to read: 
27-C. Elections determined by ranked-choice voting. "Elections determined by 
ranked-choice voting" means any of the following elections in which 3 or more 
candidates have qualified to be listed on the ballot for a particular office or at least 2 such 
candidates plus one or more declared write-in candidates have qualified for that particular 
office: 
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 
D. General elections for presidential electors. 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §801, sub-§2 is enacted to read: 
2. 
Counting of ballots. Counting of ballots for candidates for President must 
proceed according to the ranked-choice method of counting votes described in section 
723-A. 
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §805, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, is amended 
to read: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEEAMENDMENT"(j"to S.P. 315, L.D. 1083 c ~-- 6\1-'~ 
2. Presidential electors. The presidential electors at large shall cast their ballots for 
the presidential and vice-presidential candidates who received the largest number of votes 
in the State according to the ranked-choice method of counting votes described in section 
723-A. The presidential electors of each congressional district shall cast their ballots for 
the presidential and vice-presidential candidates who received the largest number of votes 
in each respective congressional district according to the ranked-choice method of 
counting votes described in section 723-A. 
Sec. 4. 
Statutory referendum procedure; submission at statewide 
election; form of question; effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal 
voters of the State at a statewide election held in the month of November following 
passage of this Act. 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, to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting 
on the following question: 
"Do you favor conducting general elections for President of the United 
States by ranked-choice voting?" 
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 a 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 a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the 
Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days 
after the date of the proclamation. 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is one of two minority reports of the committee, strikes and 
replaces the bill. Under the amendment, general elections for presidential electors must 
be determined by ranked-choice voting if that method of conducting general elections for 
presidential electors is approved by the voters of the State at referendum. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUUIBD 
(See attached) _,,1,.: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/14/19 frac:.. 
LD 1083 
LR 1160(03) 
An Act To Implement Ranked-choice Voting for Presidential Primary and General Elections in Maine 
Referendum Costs 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "13' ( S- 31 Lt\ 
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
') 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Month/Year 
Election Type 
Question 
Nov-19 
General 
Referendum 
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 $172,000 may be required. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
The bill provides for ranked-choice voting for general elections for presidential electors if approved at a statewide 
referendum election. Ranked-choice voting is currently in place for state primary elections and general elections for 
federal Congressional candidates. Requiring ranked-choice voting for general elections for presidential electors is not 
expected to add significant costs for this expansion. 
LRl 160(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of I