Author: Heather Sirocki

State Representative Heather Sirocki represents Maine House District 28 including part of Scarborough. She sits on the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and can be reached at Heather.Sirocki@legislature.maine.gov.

Clare Hudson Payne’s June 9 BDN OpEd in support of ranked-choice voting is an example of what happens when people do not do their own research and just repeat talking points. I guess that’s why it was an opinion piece. Let’s review the reality of ranked-choice voting using data from cities that are using it and some places that already have rejected it. Payne reiterates the biggest claim: “The process is repeated until a candidate has more than 50 percent of the total vote.” Proponents say ranked-choice voting guarantees a winner with a “true majority,” citing examples when more people had “voted…

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Until recently, I assumed that all measures placed on the ballot were lawful. I was wrong. Blatantly unconstitutional questions may appear on the ballot as long as enough valid signatures are certified by the Secretary of State. In a detailed six-page legal opinion regarding the ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot question, Attorney General Janet Mills concluded, “… that LD 1557 does raise significant constitutional concerns…” Armed with the AG’s legal opinion, I am sounding the alarm – if passed, ranked-choice voting would likely face court challenges based on at least two violations to the Maine Constitution. Elected officials are required to…

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