AUGUSTA — Maine could expand its new voting system and allow voters to rank gubernatorial candidates from first to last on November ballots.

The Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee held hearings Wednesday on proposed constitutional amendments.

Republicans have proposed repealing the voter-approved system, which Mainers endorsed in two statewide votes.

League of Women Voters of Maine Executive Director Anna Kellar says voters should weigh in on expanding ranked voting.

It works like this: Voters rank candidates on the ballot, and a candidate garnering a majority of first-place votes is the winner.

Otherwise, last-place candidates are eliminated and votes are reallocated until there’s a majority winner.

Maine used the ranked-choice voting system for the first time in November federal races. But Maine’s constitution prevents it from being used in governor general elections.


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