FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: October 21, 2020

**CONTACT**: Jason Savage ([email protected]
)

Maine GOP Calls on Secretary of State To Clarify Conflicting RCV
Instructions on Ballots

AUGUSTA-- Maine Republican Party Chair, Dr. Demi Kouzounas, released the
following statement regarding conflicting instructions on how to use
Ranked Choice Voting on Maine's 2020 ballots:

"Secretary of State Dunlap needs to issue an immediate clarification to
Maine's election clerks and staff regarding the conflicting instructions
his office has given," said Maine GOP Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas. "On one
hand, Secretary Dunlap's website instructions tell voters, correctly,
that they can select one candidate across their ballot in each round.
But on the other hand, the instructions Secretary Dunlap put on our
actual ballots says the opposite.

"Once again we are seeing unforced errors made by Secretary of State
Matt Dunlap," said Chair Dr. Demi Kouzounas. "Earlier this year, the
Secretary of State lost 11,000 ballots in the Maine Primary, now, he has
put out contradicting instructions on how to use Ranked Choice Voting on
the 2020 General Election ballots."

"The Maine Republican Party has received a flood of concerns from voters
regarding the instructions on this November's ballot about this specific
contradiction. It must be clarified immediately," added Dr. Kouzounas.
"Everyone who understands RCV knows a voter can vote for the same
candidate in each round, yet in the most importand spot in the election,
on Maine's ballots, Secretary Dunlap has sown confusion on the matter."

The images below show the discrepancy in the voting instructions
provided by the Secretary of State's website and those listed on the
ballot. On instructions printed on the ballot it states that voters
should, "fill in no more than one oval for each candidate." However, the
Secretary of State's website informs voters that a valid form of voting
is filling multiple ovals across for one candidate.

 

"Instructions to Voters" on Maine's 2020 ballots

Source:
[link removed]

"This discrepancy is causing distress among Maine voters and confusion
among clerks. We are calling on Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap to
immediately issue a public clarification and instruct ALL town clerks
that this method of voting is valid. This is needed to stop the
disenfranchising Maine voters and to ensure the voter suppression of
Ranked Choice Voting is limited. There is no valid excuse or explanation
for why Secretary Dunlap cannot do this."

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