Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1917
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: RENY, GROHOSKI, HICKMAN, CRAFTS, RIELLY, SKOLD

Legislative Document
No. 1917
S.P. 779
In Senate, May 9, 2023
RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of 
Maine To Implement Ranked-choice Voting for Governor, State 
Senator and State Representative
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator RENY of Lincoln.
Cosponsored by Senators: GROHOSKI of Hancock, HICKMAN of Kennebec, 
Representatives: CRAFTS of Newcastle, RIELLY of Westbrook, SKOLD of Portland.
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; lists records and tabulation of votes 
delivered forthwith; lists of votes tabulation examined by Governor; summons 
of persons who appear to be elected; lists tabulation shall be laid before the 
House.  The meetings within this State for the choice of Representatives shall be warned 
in due course of law by qualified officials of the several towns and cities 7 days at least 
before the election, and the election officials of the various towns and cities shall preside 
impartially at such meetings, and receive the votes of all the qualified electors, which votes 
must involve in any election involving 3 or more candidates the ranking of candidates in 
order of preference according to the procedure established by law. Those officials shall 
form a record of all votes received, shall sort, count and declare them the votes for each 
candidate, or the first-choice votes for each candidate if the electors rank candidates in 
order of preference, in open meeting; and shall form a list of the persons candidates voted 
for shall be formed, with the number of votes or first-choice votes for each person candidate 
against that person's candidate's name.  Cities and towns belonging to any Representative 
District shall hold their meetings at the same time in the respective cities and towns; 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 or first-choice votes shall be 
attested by the municipal officers and the clerks of the cities and towns and the city and 
town clerks respectively shall cause the same to be delivered into the office of the Secretary 
of State, together with such other attested records of the vote as may be required.  The 
Secretary of State shall tabulate the votes forthwith.  If the electors rank candidates in order 
of preference, the tabulation must occur in rounds according to the procedure established 
by law.  The Governor shall examine the returned copies of such lists tabulation and, 7 days 
before the first Wednesday of December biennially, shall issue a summons to such persons 
as shall appear to have been elected by a plurality majority of all votes returned or, if the 
electors rank candidates in order of preference, a majority of all votes in the final round of 
tabulation, to attend and take their seats.  All such lists The tabulation shall be laid before 
the House of Representatives on the first Wednesday of December biennially, and they 
shall finally determine who are elected. 
Constitution, Art. IV, Pt. Second, §§3, 4 and 5 are amended to read:
Section 3.  Election of Senators; lists records and tabulation of votes 
delivered forthwith.  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 or, if the 
electors rank candidates in order of preference, lists of first-choice votes shall be attested 
by the clerks of the cities and towns or other duly authorized officials and sealed up in open 
meetings and such officials shall cause said lists to be delivered into the office of the 
Secretary of State, together with such other attested records of the vote as may be required.  
The Secretary of State shall tabulate the votes forthwith in the same manner as votes for 
Representatives.
Section 4.  Lists of votes Tabulation examined by Governor; summons to 
persons who appear to be elected.  The Governor shall, as soon as may be, examine 
the copies of such lists, tabulation 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 
majority of the votes or, if the electors rank candidates in order of preference, a majority of 
all votes in the final round of tabulation 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 majority of votes or, if the electors rank candidates in order of 
preference, a majority of all votes in the final round of tabulation 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, which may occur because of the failure of any 
district to elect by a plurality of votes the Senator to which 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; records and tabulation of votes to be returned delivered 
forthwith to Secretary of State; Secretary of State to lay lists tabulation before 
the Senate and House of Representatives; provision in case of tie.  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 or, if the electors rank candidates in order of 
preference, lists of first-choice votes together with such other attested records of the vote 
as may be required shall be sealed and returned to the secretary's office in the same manner 
and at the same time as those for Senators and Representatives.  The Secretary of State for 
the time being shall tabulate the votes in the same manner as those for Senators and 
Representatives and, on the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday of January then next, 
the Secretary of State shall lay the lists returned to the secretary's office tabulation before 
the Senate and House of Representatives to be by them examined, together with the ballots 
or attested records of 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 by plurality of all of the 
votes returned they.  The Senate and House of Representatives shall declare and publish 
the same name of the person having a majority of votes or, if the electors rank candidates 
in order of preference, the person having a majority of votes in the final round of tabulation.  
If there shall be the tabulation results in 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 elect one of said 
the 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.
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 require candidates 
for the political offices of Governor, State Senator and State 
Representative to be elected by a majority of the votes cast for that office 
or, if the candidates for those political offices are ranked in order of 
preference, a majority of all votes in the final round of tabulation for that 
office?"
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.
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 resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to apply ranked-choice 
voting to general elections for the political offices of Governor, State Senator and State 
Representative.