Press Release
For Immediate Release: February 4, 2020
Contact: Jason Savage, [email protected] , (207) 622-6247

Maine GOP Launches People's Veto To
Repeal Ranked Choice Voting

AUGUSTA - Dr. Demi Kouzounas issued the following statement today
regarding her filing for a People's Veto to L.D. 1083 to Repeal Ranked
Choice Voting in Maine's Presidential Elections:

"One person, one vote is a bedrock American principle. Ranked Choice
Voting (RCV) is a direct violation of that principle and threatens the
rights of all Mainers and delegitimatizes our election process," said
Dr. Kouzounas.

The people's veto effort will be managed by the Maine Republican
Party's new ballot question committee, led by Chair Kouzounas.

Because of the manner in which Gov. Janet Mills allowed L.D. 1083 to to
pass into law without her signature, a major window for a people's
veto of L.D. 1083 has now opened. To stop the current implementation of
ranked-choice voting in Maine's 2020 Presidential election and instead
bring the repeal question to the November ballot, supporters must submit
63,067 signatures of registered Maine voters before the 90th day after
the end of the current legislative session.

When ranked-choice voting was first proposed by out-of-state political
operatives and mega-donors, it was billed as a new election system that
would improve voter participation, create a more civil dialogue in our
political process, and elect the 'majority' winner."

The promises supporters of ranked-choice voting made - funded with
massive amounts of out-of-state-money, have been proven unequivocally
false:

* RCV is NOT a more fair or equal process. It allows some voters to get
multiple votes, while some only get one vote.

* RCV does NOT create majority winners.  In fact some people's
ballots are "exhausted" and thrown out in the counting.

* RCV does NOT make elections more civil or cut down on negative
politics.

* RCV does NOT increase participation. In fact, it serves as voter
suppression.

* RCV is NOT simple. Maine's experience shows a much higher rate of
voter error and spoiled ballots.

* RCV costs our cities, towns and state more money than traditional
elections.

* RCV has already been found unconstitutional in state general
elections. Why should we use it anywhere?

Despite mountains of testimony from Mainers across the political
spectrum who citied major issues and concerns with Ranked Choice voting,
the Maine Legislature and Governor Mills approved the use of expanding
Ranked Choice Voting to our Presidential Elections.

"It has become abundantly clear that the people of Maine must take the
power of elections back into their own hands and restore faith and
constitutionality into our electoral system," said Dr. Kouzounas.

"Over the next several months Mainers from Kittery to Fort Kent will be
working to repeal RCV from being used in our Presidential Elections and
finally begin the process of restoring Maine's elections to their
traditional form."

For more information regarding the People's Veto to Repeal Ranked
Choice Voting visit www.repealrankedchoice.com/

Petitions are being distributed beginning this week, and anyone wishing
to sign, collect signatures or donate can use do so through the
repealrankedchoice.com website.
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