Mainers face an important choice on Question 5 on November 8 — whether to support ranked-choice voting to restore majority outcomes for electing its leaders, or not. I’ve noticed that opponents of ranked choice will make their case, and then add “and besides, it’s unconstitutional.” For some opponents, that’s their only argument.

This week, third party candidates Gov. Gary Johnson and Dr. Jill Stein took part in a candidate forum that aired on PBS over two nights. There were no interruptions, no personal jabs, and candidates spoke only to the questions and issues. The candidates' podiums stood next to each other. They were given about 90 seconds to answer each question, and both Johnson and Stein appeared committed to a real discussion on real issues.

In a presidential election with record-setting unfavorable ratings for both major parties' nominees, no small number of people will be voting against a candidate instead of for the candidate whose name they check on the ballot.

Mainers face an important choice on Question 5 when they go to the polls on November 8th—whether to support ranked-choice voting to restore majority outcomes for electing its leaders in government, or not.  I’ve noticed that opponents of ranked-choice will make their case against this method, and then throw in “and besides, it’s unconstitutional.”  For some opponents, it’s their only argument, made in an attempt to “win by forfeit.”  

With teams of canvassers on the ground in ten communities the past week, the endorsements of every daily newspaper that voiced an opinion, and key support from influential Republicans, independents and Democrats, the Vote Yes on Amendment V ballot committee rides significant momentum into the pre-election weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtSH7n9NZFw

Maine’s “Question 5” is a citizen initiative that, if passed on November 8, would implement Ranked Choice Voting, for all statewide elections.

In the old Soviet Union, people had "free" elections and were "free" to choose any Communist candidate that had been selected for the election. Most of the people of the Soviet Union understood well that in reality, their elections were shams.

With only a few days left until the election, many Americans are more resigned than ever to the likelihood that either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be our next president and are operating based on the premise that nothing could be worse than the one they’ll vote against.

In this contentious election, there is a group of voters whose concerns are going largely unaddressed: military service members, veterans, and their families. While both major party candidates' websites lay out vague plans to deal with ongoing problems at the VA as well as their foreign policy agendas, neither is directly addressing other issues that are of paramount concern to military families.

Editor's note: This article was written by Tom Nussbaum and Chris Micheli.

Just over a century ago in California, the initiative process was proposed by Progressives, the labor movement, and others as a means of addressing a Legislature which was perceived to be under the control of the Southern Pacific railroad and other special interests. In 1911, the California voters followed the recommendation of Progressive Governor Hiram Johnson and California became the tenth state to enact the initiative, referendum, and recall.