Brewer speaks with Maine Public about ranked-choice voting campaigns
Maine Public interviewed Mark Brewer, a political science professor at the University of Maine, for the report, “Will campaigns about ranked-choice voting affect voter turnout?” Next week, Maine voters will decide whether to continue to use ranked-choice voting in future elections. In anticipation of this decision, two very different campaigns are underway, according to the report. The challenge for the Yes Campaign, according to Brewer, will be to get independent voters to turn out in a primary election. “Independents don’t have a gubernatorial primary to weigh in on, they don’t have a second congressional district primary to weigh in on, so what is going to bring them to the polls in June?” Brewer asked. “Well, if you are a ranked-choice voting supporter, you better hope it is ranked-choice voting that’s going to bring them there.” Brewer said polling during the initial campaign for ranked-choice voting two years ago indicated that independent voters strongly supported the proposal, which passed by a margin of 52 to 48 percent.