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How is Maine integrating it's ranked choice election into the federal election? Everyone voting for Maine's congressional election is using ranked choice, but o

How is Maine integrating it's ranked choice election into the federal election? Everyone voting for Maine's congressional election is using ranked choice, but only maine voters are using RCV to vote for president. If they eliminate their states least popular candidates till one candidate has 50% then voters risk electing a federally unpopular candidate, in a winner take all election. In this case voters must vote strategically. It seems Maine would have to wait for federal results and eliminate candidates that are not federally viable. How would this work with multiple states using rcv? We need to abandon first past the pole (and the electoral college) but how can we do it peicemeal?

kibwen 6y ago
I'd like to know this too (and I can't tell if it's in the article, because paywall). RCV (or any other system) at the state level is irrelevant, even dangerously counter-productive, since the electoral college is still FPTP in the end. You get just as much of a spoiler effect. I wonder if this is why MA's bill this year specifically excludes RCV use for the presidential election. Technically I suppose a state elector from a state with RCV could decide to cast their vote as though RCV were in effect? But that seems unlikely and unreliable.
- esrauch 6y ago
  I disagree that it's counterproductive or irrelevant anyway. In the near term it's inconceivable that someone that isn't R or D will win Maine even with RCV, it will solely allows voters to additionally indicate support for a third party without spoiling their major party preference. Basically I'd only expect it as enabling the the Libertarian or Green party to start challenging the majors after 20 years of iterated elections, which gives plenty of time to deal with the perceived issue of Maine voting Libertarian instead of Republican and a Dem winning by 1 electoral college vote (which seems an anyway implausible result).

kibwen 6y ago

I'd like to know this too (and I can't tell if it's in the article, because paywall). RCV (or any other system) at the state level is irrelevant, even dangerously counter-productive, since the electoral college is still FPTP in the end. You get just as much of a spoiler effect. I wonder if this is why MA's bill this year specifically excludes RCV use for the presidential election. Technically I suppose a state elector from a state with RCV could decide to cast their vote as though RCV were in effect? But that seems unlikely and unreliable.

esrauch 6y ago
I disagree that it's counterproductive or irrelevant anyway. In the near term it's inconceivable that someone that isn't R or D will win Maine even with RCV, it will solely allows voters to additionally indicate support for a third party without spoiling their major party preference. Basically I'd only expect it as enabling the the Libertarian or Green party to start challenging the majors after 20 years of iterated elections, which gives plenty of time to deal with the perceived issue of Maine voting Libertarian instead of Republican and a Dem winning by 1 electoral college vote (which seems an anyway implausible result).