14 Democrats join Republicans in repealing ranked-choice voting referendum

In a special session of the Maine Legislature on Monday, lawmakers passed a bill to delay and eventually repeal the ranked-choice voting reform legislation passed with a majority of a statewide vote less than a year ago.

“It is truly a sad day in the Maine Legislature,” said Democratic Senator Mike Carpenter of Aroostook County. “I cannot understand why so many lawmakers saw fit to abandon any chance of finding a bipartisan solution that addressed those concerns while still respecting the will of the voters by implementing as much of the ranked-choice voting law as we could.”

Two Democrats, Senators Dawn Hill of York County and Bill Diamond of Cumberland County, cast the deciding votes in favor of the delay-and-repeal bill in the Senate, with Republican Tom Saviello of Franklin County voting against undoing the referendum.

In the House, a bill to bring the law into compliance with an opinion by the state Supreme Court by limiting it to primary and federal contests initially passed, but after the Senate backed repeal fourteen Democrats joined every Republican in voting to undo the law.

Democratic representatives Robert Duchesne of Hudson, Michelle Dunphy of Old Town, Ryan Fectau of Biddeford, Gay Grant of Gardiner, Louis Luchini of Ellsworth, John Martin of Eagle Lake, Roland Martin of Sinclair, David McCrea of Fort Fairfield, Teresa Pierce of Falmouth, Heather Sanborn of Portland, Stephen Stanley of Medway and Ralph Tucker of Brunswick voted with all Republicans present on the measure to recede and concur with the Senate, which passed 73 to 65. All independents present voted against repeal.

“The amended version of LD 1646 also sets in motion a process that is likely to result in the automatic repeal of the entire RCV law in 2021. These attacks on the citizen-initiated law effectively dismiss the people’s voice as expressed less than a year ago,” said League of Women Voters of Maine President Jill Ward and Maine Citizens for Clean Elections Board Chair John Brautigam in a joint statement. “We urge our lawmakers to take whatever steps may be available to them to reverse this decision, and preserve and protect the citizen-approved law.”

The repeal comes after three other referendums passed last November, to raise the minimum wage, legalize marijuana and tax high income earners to fund education, were all modified or undone by the legislature earlier this year.

Democratic candidates for governor were quick to criticize the votes.

“I know that there are good people in the Legislature trying to do the best they can, but what happened with Ranked Choice Voting is a good example of why we need new leadership,” said former state senator Jim Boyle. “Mainers are frustrated. Over and over they have told the politicians that they want solutions: Ranked Choice Voting, expanded access to health care, increased education funding. And over and over politicians have failed to deliver.”

Diane Russell, who played a role in the ranked-choice voting ballot campaign, promised they would begin planning for a “people’s veto” initiative to stop the repeal bill.

Democratic leadership in the House and Senate sounded different notes on the severity of the result.

“Time and again this year, majorities in the Legislature have treated referendum results not as mandates from the public, but as mere suggestions that could be ignored. To the voters of Maine, all I can say is I’m sorry. And all I can promise is that my own will to fight for your voice, and your votes, is not cowed by this defeat — If anything, it is strengthened,” said Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson.

“Today’s bill keeps in place important portions of the referendum. And I personally hope that in the coming years, a future legislature and a new governor will implement ranked choice voting in a manner that fully complies with the constitution. Until that day, Democrats vow to continue to fight to pass a constitutional amendment and finally give Mainers the electoral reform they want,” said Democratic Speaker of the House Sara Gideon.