HP0877
LD 1213
Session - 129th Maine Legislature
 
LR 367
Item 1
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

An Act To Repeal the Ranked-choice Voting Law

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1, sub-§27-C,  as repealed and replaced by PL 2017, c. 316, §1, is repealed.

Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1, sub-§35-A,  as enacted by IB 2015, c. 3, §2, is repealed.

Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §601, sub-§2, ¶J,  as amended by PL 2017, c. 316, §3, is repealed.

Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §695, first ¶,  as amended by PL 2017, c. 316, §4, is further amended to read:

Except for elections determined by ranked-choice voting, the following provisions apply to the counting of ballots. The election clerks shall count the ballots under the supervision of the warden as soon as the polls are closed, except that if, in the opinion of the municipal clerk the public interests will best be served, referendum ballots may be counted on the day immediately following the election, as long as the count is completed within 24 hours after the polls are closed. If referendum ballots are counted under this exception, the municipal clerk is responsible for the security and safekeeping of the ballots until the count has been completed.

Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §722, sub-§1,  as amended by PL 2017, c. 316, §5, is further amended to read:

1. How tabulated.  The Secretary of State shall tabulate all votes that appear by an election return to have been cast for each question or candidate whose name appeared on the ballot. For elections determined by ranked-choice voting, the Secretary of State shall tabulate the votes according to the ranked-choice voting method described in section 723-A. The Secretary of State shall tabulate the votes that appear by an election return to have been cast for a declared write-in candidate based on a recount requested and conducted pursuant to section 737-A, subsection 2-A.

Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §723, sub-§2,  as amended by PL 2017, c. 316, §7, is further amended to read:

2. Other elections.   In any other election except for those determined by ranked-choice voting, the person who receives a plurality of the votes cast for election to any office, as long as there is at least one vote cast for that office, is elected to that office, except that a write-in candidate must also comply with section 722-A.

Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §723-A,  as amended by PL 2017, c. 316, §§8 to 10, is repealed.

SUMMARY

This bill repeals the laws governing ranked-choice voting.


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