Maine Voices: Ranked-choice voting passes every test of true democracy
Jill Ward, president of the Augusta-based League of Women Voters of Maine
Portland Press Herald

In 2011, after three years of study, we announced a position in favor of ranked-choice voting in Maine. In coming to this decision, we followed in the footsteps of sister Leagues around the country that began endorsing ranked-choice voting in 1999, including leagues in Vermont, Washington, California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina and South Carolina.

We believe it will reduce negative campaigning and the money spent on negative advertising because candidates will need to appeal to a broader range of voters for first- and second-choice rankings to build a majority of support. As a voter, you are less likely to rank a candidate as your second choice if that candidate has launched personal attacks against your favorite candidate.

Poll after poll tells us what we already know: Americans feel that our democracy is “out of balance,” that government is not addressing issues important to “us,” and that the power of wealthy special interests means we’re all not truly equal citizens. Americans want a fair, honest democracy and are hungry for ideas that move us toward more equal participation in civic life.

The implementation of ranked-choice voting in Maine’s state and federal elections will not be without challenges, but we have the right to determine how our democracy works and an obligation to our children and grandchildren to make the system work better. Ranked-choice voting is worthy of that effort for the civic benefits that it can bestow and will pay off many times over in a stronger democracy and a more responsive government.