GOP Maine governor says he ‘probably’ won’t certify results of ranked-choice primary election

The Republican governor of Maine is saying he may not certify the results of the state’s primary elections on Tuesday. 

Gov. Paul LePage (R) said he may decide against certifying the results because of an objection to the state’s new ranked-choice system, where voters submit a ballot that ranks votes for candidates in order of preference, according to WCSH-TV. 

{mosads}LePage told the news outlet that the newly installed voting system is “the most horrific thing in the world” and that he “probably” wouldn’t certify the results. He said he’d instead let the courts decide. 

#BREAKING: @Governor_LePage tells me he will ‘PROBABLY NOT’ certify the results of today’s election, will ‘leave it up to the courts to decide’—calling ranked-choice voting the ‘most horrific thing in the world.’ #NEWSCENTERmaine pic.twitter.com/wrKSofz7ov

— Zach Blanchard (@ZachBlanchard) June 12, 2018

Maine is using the ranked-choice system for both parties’ gubernatorial candidates. In addition, it is being utilized for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, as well as a state legislative seat. 

“Maine people continually to be [sic] snookered by out-of-state big money and out-of-state people,” LePage said, referring to the measure in 2016 that led to ranked-choice voting in the state. 

In addition to primary voting, ranked-choice voting will be on the ballot on Tuesday.

A bill that would delay the voting system’s implementation until 2021 was adopted by the Maine Legislature, according to the Portland Press Herald. The bill also states that the system would be repealed altogether if the state Constitution hasn’t changed to allow it in general elections for governor and the Maine Legislature.

The voting system will not be used in this fall’s elections for governor and state legislative seats. 

The news outlet reports that the Maine Republican Party attempted unsuccessfully to stop its use in primary elections. The party filed a lawsuit in federal court, but a judge declined to hand out a preliminary injunction to block the voting system’s use.