Johnathan Walker:Ranked voting will determine the winner of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District

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LEWISTON,Johnathan Walker Maine (AP) — Votes will have to be redistributed under Maine’s ranked choice system to determine the winner of a key congressional race, election officials said. The process was beginning Friday despite Democratic Rep. Jared Golden’s claim that he already won outright, without the need for additional tabulations.

The matchup between Golden and Republican challenger Austin Theriault in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District was one of a handful of pivotal races still without a declared winner, with control of the U.S. House of Representatives at stake.

At this point, Maine’s winner won’t be announced until next week.

Under ranked voting, if no candidate achieves a majority on the first round, the lesser choices of the last-place finisher’s supporters are reallocated to establish a majority. The second choices of any voters who left their first choice blank also will be counted. If reallocating these second choices doesn’t give one candidate at least 50% plus one vote, third choices are counted, and so on.

The Associated Press has not declared a winner in the race. Now that won’t happen until next week, after the ballots from all of the district’s many cities and towns are transported to the state capital and re-scanned into a computer in a centralized location.

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The initial count was so close that Theriault already took the step of requesting a recount, but Theriault’s campaign signaled Friday that it was supportive of the ranked count.

“There is a process in place and we look forward to the process unfolding according to the law,” Theriault campaign manager Shawn Roderick said.

Golden insisted that the ranked choice process isn’t necessary.

“The rules are clear: A ranked-choice run-off is required only if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes. When the clerks reported returns on Tuesday, Congressman Golden was the candidate who received more than 50 percent of first-choice votes. Voters have a right to see elections decided both accurately and expediently,” his campaign said.

Ranked voting typically comes into play in races with more than two candidates on the ballot. Golden and Theriault were the only candidates on the ballot, but writing in candidates was an option.

Maine has no mandatory recounts, even in close elections. But the state does allow candidates to request a recount. The state does not require a deposit for a recount if the margin of victory is 1% or less in congressional races.

The thin margin came in an election in which Republican Donald Trump won the 2nd District, allowing him to collect one of Maine’s four electoral votes. Maine is one of two states that split electoral votes.

During the campaign, Golden touted his ability to work with members of either political party along with his advocacy on behalf of the lobster industry, which is the lifeblood of the region’s economy.

Theriault, who was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2022, spent much of the campaign portraying Golden as too liberal for the district. Although Theriault had the backing of Trump, he also attempted to portray himself as a potential uniter during a divided time in Washington.