I write to support Maine’s consideration of a ranked choice voting system. When more than two candidates are running,the winner often has the support of less than 50 percent of the citizens who voted.

Maine has a history of three- or four-person races. In nine out the past 11 governor’s races, the winner won with a minority of the votes cast. A citizen’s initiative would allow voters to cast votes for all candidates for an office in the order of their preference. The candidate with the lowest number of votes would be dropped, and his or her ballots would then be reassigned to the remaining candidates based on the ranked preference of the voters. This system would thus produce a winner with at least 50 percent plus one vote.

Ranked choice voting would apply only to races with three or more candidates. It would be used for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Governor, and Maine Senate and House races.

For more information, visit www.rcvmaine.com/faq.

I believe a ranked choice voting system would strengthen our state government by no longer permitting a candidate to be elected with less than a majority of the votes cast.

Adair DeLamater
Bath