Maine voters may be some of the nation’s most powerful in the upcoming election, according to a recent report published by personal finance website WalletHub.
Based on the outlet’s Voter Power Scores, Maine voters will be the thirteenth most powerful in the presidential election and the seventh most powerful in casting their ballots in the race for Senate.
The Voter Power Scores were calculated by multiplying a grade based on YouGov’s “win probabilities” by the the number of electors or open Senate seats and dividing by the voting age population. This figure was then multiplied by one million to determine the final Voter Power Score.
YouGov’s “win probabilities” represent the likelihood each candidate has of winning their respective seats in each state. Based on these percentages, WalletHub graded each state on a hundred point scale with 100 points being awarded to states with an exact fifty percent chance of swinging either way and 0 points going toward those estimated to go toward one party or the other with complete certainty.
The most powerful state in the presidential race was found to be Nevada with Wyoming, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. coming in as the least powerful. For the Senate, Vermont had the highest Voter Power Score, while California had the lowest.
Appearing on Maine’s ballot as presidential candidates this election cycle are five individuals, including former President Donald Trump (R), Vice President Kamala Harris (D), Libertarian Chase Oliver, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, and Justice for All candidate Cornel West.
Statewide, voters will be asked to select between four candidates for one of Maine’s two seats in the United States Senate: Incumbent Sen. Angus King (I), Democrat David Costello, Republican Demi Kouzounas, and Independent Jason Cherry.
Click Here to Read the Full Results of the Study
WalletHub did not include calculations for the relative power of voters in the races for the United States House of Representatives.
That said, many have highlighted the race in Maine’s Second Congressional District between incumbent Rep. Jared Golden (D) and Maine State Rep. Austin Theriault (R).
According to YouGov’s estimations as of September 20, the race is nearly a fifty-fifty split, with Rep. Golden having a 52 percent change of winning and Rep. Theriault having a 48 percent chance.
In the First District, incumbent Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) was found to have a 61 percent chance of winning, compared to Republican Ronald C. Russell’s 39 percent chance.
Additional information from the Maine Wire about what to expect on this year’s ballot is available here: Everything You Need to Know About Casting Your Ballot in the Upcoming Election.
