AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine will be the first state to use ranked-choice voting in November, and it could decide the Senate election.

As every Mainer is aware, Republican Sen. Susan Collins is in a tight race against Democrat Sara Gideon. But two independent candidates might peel off several percentage points of the vote: Libertarian-leaning Max Linn and Green-leaning Lisa Savage.

Neither Collins nor Gideon is expected to win more than 50% of the vote. If this happens, the candidate with the fewest votes gets eliminated.

Then, if a voter's first choice is removed, their second choice goes to the remaining candidates, until someone has 50%.

Dan Shea, government professor at Colby College, said their recent poll had surprising insights.

"It's not quite as simple as Linn's second choices would go to Collins, and Savage's second choices would go to Gideon," Shea explained. "I'd likely think that the Savage second choice would more likely go to Gideon."

Eight percent of respondents supported Linn or Savage in the Colby poll, although more recent polls show each candidate getting less support by several percentage points.

Mark Brewer, political science professor at the University of Maine, thinks Max Linn voters' second choices are the hardest to predict.

"Linn has been inconsistent in what he would like his supporters to do," Brewer said. "There was a point where he said he was going to drop out of the race and endorse Collins if she were willing to agree to certain things. She didn't do that. In a couple instances, maybe said, well maybe Savage should be your second choice."

One important note that is that Maine has what's called "batch elimination." This means that all candidates who are not able to win can be eliminated at the same time.

Early voting is underway in Maine. For anyone who still needs to register, voter-registration forms must be received in the mail by Monday, Oct. 19, or can be dropped off at your town office or city hall until Election Day, Nov. 3.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.

*An earlier version of this story failed to clarify that ranked-choice voting in Maine has batch elimination, with a misleading quote about how run-offs could impact the Senate race. As soon as this was brought to our attention, we corrected it. (11:47 p.m., Oct. 14, 2020)


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Today is National Voter Registration Day, and volunteers with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters are holding voter registration events across the state - at libraries, school campuses, and churches.

League of Women Voters of Texas President Joyce LeBombard said the organization has seen an increase in interest in the presidential race, on both sides, now that the Democratic ticket has changed.

She added that voters should also pay attention to other races.

"In presidential race years, there is always more excitement than on non-presidential races," said LeBombard. "But I think people need to remember that all elections are important, and what's really important is those down-ballot races - those races that impact your community directly."

LeBombard said if you are already registered to vote, now is a good time to check your voter registration status.

Texas has removed more than a million voters from the rolls since 2021.

If you need information about a ballot item, the League provides its Voter's Guide. Information is also available at the Secretary of States' office or at 'votetexas.gov.'

LeBombard said since its inception, National Voter Registration Day has had a huge impact on elections.

"I think it's a very important day," said LeBombard. "It started in 2012 with both democracy-organizing groups and also elections officials. And since 2012, over 5 million voters have registered to vote or updated their voter registration."

The deadline to register to vote for the November 5 general election is October 7. Texas does not have online registration - you must do so at a community event or at your county elections office.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.




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Today is National Voter Registration Day, and some young people in Washington state are encouraging people in their age group to ensure they're registered.

The general election is less than two months away, and ballots in Washington state will start going out in just over a month, on October 18.

Ayla Nye is a student at the University of Washington who was a summer fellow with The Washington Bus, a youth voting organization.

She registered to vote three years ago when she was 18, and said the process was not complicated.

"It's just a really great chance to get involved as a citizen, and vote on polices that will be directly affecting me and my community," said Nye. "So, I was excited to register."

Online and mail-in voter registration forms must be received in Washington state by October 28 to vote in this year's general election.

But if Washingtonians miss that date, they can still register to vote in person any time before 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5.

Nick Boada is also a student at the University of Washington, and he's helping register people to vote in the lead up to the election.

"Obviously a very important election in deciding where this country's headed," said Boada. "I believe especially for young people, who this election will affect most, it's important for them to get out and vote - since our age demographic votes at a much lesser rate than those older than us."

Nye said the presidential race is a big focus in November, but she noted it isn't the only race on the ballot.

"For those who are hesitant about voting this year because they're maybe unhappy with the presidential candidates," said Nye, "I would really like to remind them that they are voting also for state policies, and positions that affect our community on a local level."




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Just a few months after some South Dakota absentee ballots were illegally challenged, officials are concerned slow mail delivery could affect outcomes on Election Day.

Members of the National Association of State Election Officials have sent a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General, expressing concerns about Postal Service performance over the last year. It cited patterns of inconsistent training among staff, lengthy delivery times and a rise in mail returned as undeliverable, which can affect a voter's registration.

Samantha Chapman, advocacy manager for the ACLU of South Dakota, hopes election officials across the state are educating people who request absentee ballots.

"About the possibility of delayed mail service and the importance of expediently filling out those ballots and mailing them back as soon as possible," Chapman stressed.

Chapman encouraged South Dakotans to check the status of their voter registration in case they have been purged through routine maintenance or other changes. The registration deadline is Oct. 21.

A challenge to some absentee ballots cast during the June primary in Minnehaha County nearly caused 100 to be rejected, in a race where candidates were separated by just 83 votes, according to the ACLU. The South Dakota Secretary of State's Office advised state law did not deem the ballots challengeable.

Chapman hopes there are no similar issues on the upcoming Election Day.

"We really, really, really are pushing all of our election administrators to follow the laws that are in place," Chapman explained. "And to use their positions to be an accurate source of information for voters."

The U.S. Postal Service last month proposed a plan to adjust mail delivery starting next year to increase reliance on regional hubs, which could slow delivery to rural areas. It is estimated the plan will save the service $3 billion per year.