Posted on 11/15/2018 11:53:17 AM PST by SMGFan
Maine Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s loss under the state’s new ranked-choice voting system on Thursday likely means the end of New England Republicans in the House.
It’s the first time in over 100 years an incumbent has lost Maine’s 2nd District. Poliquin is still pursuing his legal challenge to the ranked-choice voting system in federal court, but Democrat Jared Golden won more than 50 percent after state election officials tabulated the ranked-choice votes on Thursday afternoon.
Poliquin narrowly led the Democrat on the first count, but since neither candidate received 50 percent of the vote, the state’s new ranked-choice voting system kicked in. A federal judge on Thursday morning denied a Poliquin lawsuit to seek an injunction against the tabulation of those votes.
After the last-place finisher was eliminated, Golden defeated Poliquin 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent, according to state election officials who declared Golden the winner.
(Excerpt) Read more at rollcall.com ...
Why? Where is this a whole lot different from a run-off when neither candidate gets 50%?
Believe me, I am very familiar with our town and county committee, calling them hacks is being generous.
Makes me think about becoming a ‘rat - they are ruthless and relentless and dedicated to winning - while Republicans all over are slumbering, the Dims have come up with yet another way to steal an election......
I should settle down, it’s tough all over LOL. Arrogance an incompetence seem to be the hallmarks of political committees.
Folks who volunteer for committees have got to understand, we don’t have the money or the resources the left has. We’ve got to out work them on a daily basis. If we work hard, we’ll be fine. But lack of a work ethic is clearly seen here in Maine. 8 years of the LePage revolution has been wiped out.
if court rules for GOP, House Dems could refuse to seat. This is worst case based on 50 years US DEm politics.
Seems like you are getting more than one man one vote here.
Saw it called an automatic run off.
This ranked system is absolutely stupid. But people like it. I prefer the way it’s done in the southern states with a runoff. It is much more fair.
Thank you for this explanation. If I can ask: why did the Maine GOP not take this to court before the election?
Can’t be any surprise that the Democrats would rig this to win all federal elections.
Conservatives need to find and run DINOs.
Why fight half a battle?
Plenty of candidates don’t get 50% and take office. Here Poliquin received an actual plurality of votes. He was the highest vote-getter, period. Given that the Democrats are in charge of vote counting here (for which they frankly cannot be trusted to do honestly in any capacity), this “instant runoff” business should be discarded by any judge (I see nothing in the Constitution saying “top vote getter, BUT...”). For all we know, and likely do, any “additional” vote counting via some dubious instant runoff will be a Democrat attempt to steal the race from the victor. If they wish to have a runoff, have an actual one at a later date, not backroom counting where the LOSING candidate, who just happens to be a dem, magically wins.
I personally believe dozens of House races have been stolen in this election and at least 2 Senate races. It’s a trial run for 2020 by the Dems to steal the Presidency from Trump. If Republicans were magically winning in every contest days and weeks after Election Day based on “curious” vote counting measures, you think the Dems/media would sit back and allow that to happen ? This is epic-level fraud.
Won’t get ‘em through. It’s almost impossible to nominate a non-leftist under the Dem banner.
I’m not sure if the GOP took this court in the past or whether Maine’s legislature tried to deal with Rank Choice Voting, but a court ruled at some point that Rank Choice Voting was unconstitutional for state office such as governor, but it was OK for the U.S. Senate races in Maine and the races for the House of Representatives.
That had me scratching my head. If it’s unconstitutional for state races, how is it constitutional for federal races?
Congressman Poliquin is already challenging Rank Choice Voting in federal court, claiming that it is unconstitutional. I hope he succeeds.
In June, the democrats had Rank Choice Voting decide their primary for governor...there were six or seven candidates.
Attorney General Janet Mills won the primary and, unfortunately, the November election.
Conservative governor Paul LePage was term limited. He is re-locating to Florida, any will come back to Maine every April for the warmer weather months.
Gov. LePage has stated that he might move back to Maine in four years and run again for governor (a governor can serve more than two times, but only the first two terms can be consecutive).
Thanks. Love LaPage. The best governor most folks did not know about around the country.
Yes, and they are better at that than we are. In Maine we now need a dozen conservative splinter groups to run candidates, because that brings more voters to the polls, and if those voters rank the republican above the democrat, the republican will win those votes as the splinter candidates are eliminated.
There is nothing horribly bad about the instant run-off, but it does require a new strategy, one the democrats already had in place, and which the republicans are lagging (in Maine).
As someone noted, if we had instant runoff in Virginia, Dave Bratt would have won election, because it is highly unlikely the libertarians would have picked the democrat above him as their second choice.
On the other hand, this does mean that more than half the people who showed up and voted wanted the democrat more than the republican.
It is hard to argue that the choice of the majority is invalid, just because it isn’t how we normally do things.
The problem was that the republicans had no arch-conservative on the ballot to draw another 2000 voters who, once they bothered to show up, would pick the republican second.
That is what you need to do for 2020. Instead of fighting the system, use the system. Heck, run 10 good conservative candidates. IF each one just manages to get 100 of their friends and family to vote for them rather than stay home, that’s another 1000 votes in the republican side.
Well who needs representatives (marxist or rhinos) from foreign countries...
Thanks for explaining how it works - that does sound corrupt
In other states, like Georgia, you go to a runoff when you don't get 50%. It's up to the state to decide whether to require an actual majority or not.
I personally believe dozens of House races have been stolen in this election and at least 2 Senate races.
Maybe Trump will start up a panel to investigate. Hope they do better than his illegal voter panel did.
Yes, but in the case of Georgia, they have an actual runoff election, not a “ranked choice”, although I have concerns about this as possibly not being Constitutional. Dems used chicanery in 1966 to steal the Governorship from Bo Callaway, the Republican who won a plurality over Lester Maddox (who was then “elected” by a nearly all-dem legislature, despite being the loser).
Aren’t enough folks in the Justice Dept to investigate the fraud, and worse than that, too many are just fine with it.
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