Ranked-choice voting in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District is a scam, perpetrated on the Maine people once again by sore losers who, when they lose, change the rules. So we have a new congressman representing the people of the 2nd Congressional District, one who was elected with a system those same voters rejected overwhelmingly two years ago. And who won the election with less than a majority. As a matter of fact, he won a plurality pretty much the same as the plurality that Gov. LePage won in his re-election four years ago.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, uncertified results indicated that there were 289,952 votes cast for U.S. Congress in the 2nd Congressional District on Nov. 6. After the ranked-choice voting tabulations, Jared Golden won the race with a net total of 139,231 votes. Which is less than 50 percent of 289,952 – at least according to the math I was taught in school.

So, how did that work again? Wasn’t this supposed to result in the winner’s receiving more than 50 percent of the votes, and having a majority mandate to represent the district? This is nothing short of a sham, and the people who perpetrated this sham should be ashamed of themselves. And Jared Golden should not be representing the people of the 2nd Congressional District.

Based on this first application of the ranked-choice voting system foisted on the voters of Maine, the Legislature should repeal this mess and return to the system that worked for Maine for over a hundred years.

Barry Stephens

Scarborough

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