U.S. District Court Refuses to Enjoin Maine from Using Ranked-Choice Voting

On August 14, U.S. District Court Judge Lance E. Walker, a Trump appointee, refused to enjoin Maine from using ranked-choice voting. Hagopian v Dunlap, 1:20cv-257. Here is the 18-page order. It is very readable and interesting, for any reader who is interested in alternative voting systems.


Comments

U.S. District Court Refuses to Enjoin Maine from Using Ranked-Choice Voting — 18 Comments

  1. Yes, Richard. Very interesting.
    Like I said before here in BAN comments, I would be glad to try RCV if it were available.
    So, will it actually be in place this November?
    Will it allow the viability of third parties to be competitive and viable to win as their potential vote would call for as Top Six would?
    BTW, FYI and fellow commenters here, I would like to state something. I have been commenting here-and only here except for my website The PLAS Place-for the past several months.
    I have information that the government may move me-without asking-to a high security facility with medical facilities. I have developed some sort of rash. I have no idea whether if this is done I will be able to continue to comment here or not.
    I believe the reason is !. To silence me. OR 2. To put me in some sort of protective custody. I think it would have to do with . 1. The election And/OR 2. The pending case in US District Court in Pittsburgh. OR 3. My health.
    So, if I am able, I will continue to comment here at BAN. If you do not hear from me, it would probably be because I cannot for some reason.

  2. Yes, it will be in place in Maine in November 2020, for president and congress.

  3. @SC:

    Good question. How does ranked choice voting handle write-ins? I would imagine that you could fill in a write-in space with a name, and give it a rank in the ranking columns. Do Maine ranked choice ballots have spaces for write-ins?

  4. Unfortunately FairVote, BAN, the Green and Libertarian Parties of Maine and plenty of others have traveled down the path of one-party system dictatorship, because RCV in single-winner election districts guarantees that only the one biggest party/faction can win.

    When there are challengers the one biggest need simply run more names to appear competitive but the one biggest will always win 100% of the time with no exceptions.

    The United Coalition USA has been bringing the correct math for the pure proportional representation (PPR) Electoral College to the web since 1992 and PPR is the only perfect way to match percentages with votes to percentages of seats.

    For third parties and independents to vie in single-winner election districts is unacceptable because single-winner election districts only bring a one-party or two-party system.

    America is a melting pot. No way to the one-party and two-party voting systems everywhere.

    United Coalition USA
    http://Www.pprelectoralcollege.com

  5. Ranked choice voting used in multi member districts increases proportional results. All of the city councilors in Cambridge, MA are elected at-large with ranked choice voting.

  6. So how long will it be before RCV is in place 100%?
    Because presently the dems and reps have a 100% ballot access monopoly/duopoly on the voting system.
    Only the LP regularly gets very near 100% ballot access. Ironically only the LP would not have enough votes to win even with Top Six, at 13%.
    If the LP went for PLAS, it could arrange for vote coordination to get 50/50 ballot victories with the LP.
    Even if the Lp had to help the GP get on some ballots.
    There might be a few ballots for the ticket that the GP would have and not the LP!
    If the CP and the Alliance/reform parties got full ballot access-Top Six-five of the six would be viable to possibly win.
    PLAS would make the sixth-the LP-also viable to win.
    Top Six and PLAS are available within the present system AS IS.
    Why wait for RCV or any other system to get into place?

  7. Plus Ogle might be right.
    RCV might fail against Duverger’s Law and produce consistent one or two winners, the dems and reps again!
    I say try Top Six and PLAS first.
    Meanwhile set up RCV.
    If Top Six and PLAS fail, THEN try RCV.
    ALL I am saying…
    Is give PLAS a chance.
    All I am saying…
    Is give PLAS a chance!

  8. The United Coalition USA received the determination of our appeal to the Libertarian Party Judicial Committee yesterday and we are ready to accept the loss and continue on into November as a team.

    Just off the cuff, we’ll likely bring the unity, with the Los Angeles County Black Panther Party.

    Should anyone want to help collaborate be sure to contact us.

  9. I must say this mention of Boulder has me on a trip down Memory Lane.
    I decided to stay in Boulder and applied to UCB. I was accepted but it didn’t take long to drop out.
    I met some interesting people including Dr. McFarland, John Davenport, MA, Nancy Benson, PhD. All three are now dead.
    Reportedly.
    I guess you could say I was radicalized there from about 1972 to 1976.
    Boulder, unless it has changed radically, was/is a very progressive city.
    Interesting that RCV should get initiated here and a few other places around the country.
    New England, including Maine, is a known progressive region.
    I have my concerns about RCV.
    I do not know if it can prevail against Duverger’s Law.
    I have not yet pondered that sufficiently.
    However I have pondered Duverger’s Law v. Top Six and PLAS.
    I am convinced they could prevail against Duverger;s Law.
    As is. Now. As soon as the political will allows.

  10. Maine maintains its system of segregated partisan primaries, and use that as an excuse to block Green and Libertarian candidates from the ballot.

    If you can’t rank and choose all candidates, how can it be referred to as ranked choice?

  11. Minor bit less disaster with RCV in legis body elections —

    compared to exec/judic elections – esp 1 person exec/judic office.

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