PORTLAND, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Alliance Party of Maine filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the Maine Supreme Judicial Court opposing Republican Party efforts to exempt the Nov. 3 presidential election from ranked choice voting on the grounds that changing the electoral process now will result in chaos on election day.
“It is highly disappointing to see this cynical legal maneuver by the political establishment to once again attempt to thwart the will of Maine voters,” said Jim Rex, National Chair of the Alliance Party. “If successful, it will not only result in mass voter confusion in the midst of an election already begun, it will result in the contamination of every vote cast.”
The high court will hear oral arguments on Oct. 1.
The brief spells out the harms to the electoral process that will result if the high court rules in favor of the GOP’s effort to prevent ranked choice voting in the presidential contest, including the fact that:
- Ballots featuring ranked choice voting and instructions to voters on how to mark their ballots have already been printed
- It will be impossible for poll workers to effectively explain the changes to voters entering the 400-plus polling places in Maine
- Many American service men and women overseas have already voted by ranked choice and sent their ballots in
- Even though the GOP’s alternative to ranked choice is to discount any ballot choices beyond first choice, many voters will still pick three or more candidates and will essentially be disenfranchised
- The campaign of the Alliance Party’s presidential candidate, Roque De La Fuente, has been put on hold until a ruling is made and will be at a disadvantage in its media buys as advertising prices go up daily
“Once again, a ruling party wrongfully seeks to deprive an independent candidate access to a legally constituted process approved by the voters, whom they seek to disenfranchise with the confusing alternative they suggest to ranked-choice voting, which may result in chaos on election day,” declared De La Fuente.
