Maine GOP Launches People's Veto To Repeal Ranked Choice Voting

Press Release
For Immediate Release: February 4, 2020
Contact: Jason Savage, jason@mainegop.com , (207) 622-6247

Maine GOP Launches People's Veto To
Repeal Ranked Choice Voting

AUGUSTA - Dr. Demi Kouzounas issued the following statement today regarding her filing for a People's Veto to L.D. 1083 to Repeal Ranked Choice Voting in Maine's Presidential Elections:

"One person, one vote is a bedrock American principle. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a direct violation of that principle and threatens the rights of all Mainers and delegitimatizes our election process," said Dr. Kouzounas.

The people's veto effort will be managed by the Maine Republican Party's new ballot question committee, led by Chair Kouzounas.

Because of the manner in which Gov. Janet Mills allowed L.D. 1083 to to pass into law without her signature, a major window for a people's veto of L.D. 1083 has now opened. To stop the current implementation of ranked-choice voting in Maine's 2020 Presidential election and instead bring the repeal question to the November ballot, supporters must submit 63,067 signatures of registered Maine voters before the 90th day after the end of the current legislative session.

When ranked-choice voting was first proposed by out-of-state political operatives and mega-donors, it was billed as a new election system that would improve voter participation, create a more civil dialogue in our political process, and elect the 'majority' winner."

The promises supporters of ranked-choice voting made - funded with massive amounts of out-of-state-money, have been proven unequivocally false:

• RCV is NOT a more fair or equal process. It allows some voters to get multiple votes, while some only get one vote.
• RCV does NOT create majority winners. In fact some people's ballots are "exhausted" and thrown out in the counting.
• RCV does NOT make elections more civil or cut down on negative politics.
• RCV does NOT increase participation. In fact, it serves as voter suppression.
• RCV is NOT simple. Maine's experience shows a much higher rate of voter error and spoiled ballots.
• RCV costs our cities, towns and state more money than traditional elections.
• RCV has already been found unconstitutional in state general elections. Why should we use it anywhere?

Despite mountains of testimony from Mainers across the political spectrum who citied major issues and concerns with Ranked Choice voting, the Maine Legislature and Governor Mills approved the use of expanding Ranked Choice Voting to our Presidential Elections.

"It has become abundantly clear that the people of Maine must take the power of elections back into their own hands and restore faith and constitutionality into our electoral system," said Dr. Kouzounas.

"Over the next several months Mainers from Kittery to Fort Kent will be working to repeal RCV from being used in our Presidential Elections and begin the finally begin the process of restoring Maine's elections to their traditional form."

For more information regarding the People's Veto to Repeal Ranked Choice Voting visit www.repealrankedchoice.com/.

Petitions are being distributed beginning this week, and anyone wishing to sign, collect signatures or donate can use do so through the repealrankedchoice.com website.

# # #