Maine Republicans Won't Recognize Ranked Choice Voting In Presidential Primary

The Maine Republican Party says it won’t recognize ranked choice voting in the March 5 presidential primary, adding another layer of complexity to an already confusing election.

The position also puts the state party at odds with former President Donald Trump’s lawyers, who argued in legal briefings that Maine’s use of ranked choice voting could help preserve the integrity of the election in the event he is disqualified by the courts.

Trump’s team argued against the need for Maine’s courts to move forward immediately with a ruling on whether he is eligible for the state’s primary ballot, saying votes for the former president could be redistributed to voters' second choices during the ranked choice tabulation.

“One person, one vote is a sacred principle to Republicans, and it should be to all Americans. That principle is what we are defending here in this party primary,” party Chair Joel Stetkis said in November.