29-250 C.M.R. ch. 535, § 3 - Ballot Design

1. Authority of Secretary of State. The Secretary of State has the sole authority to determine the design of ballots containing ranked-choice voting contests, including whether to place ranked-choice contests and non-ranked-choice contests on the same or separate ballot pages. This determination will be made after the candidate filing deadline has passed, when the number of contests subject to ranked-choice voting and the number of candidates who have qualified for those contests is known. Ranked-choice contests will be grouped together and presented either on a separate ballot page from the non-ranked-choice contests, or on one side of a combined ranked-choice and non-ranked-choice ballot page. Ballot heading information and specific instructions will be presented above or next to the first contest of each type (i.e., ranked-choice contest, non-ranked-choice contest or referendum contest). Each ballot page or grouping of contests will adhere to the ballot order and layout requirements, as near as practicable, of 21-A M.R.S.A. §601, §604-A, §723-A. The final design will be based on the space and design limitations of the ballot design software, while following the best practices for ballot design to the greatest extent possible.

2. Ranked-choice layout. The ballot will be designed in a manner that allows voters to rank as many candidates as they wish, up to and including all listed candidates and one declared write-in candidate, in order of choice. If there is no declared write-in candidate who has qualified in accordance with 21-A M.R.S.A. §722-A for a ranked-choice voting contest, then the Secretary of State may eliminate the write-in space for the contest so that the voter will have the ability to rank only the candidates listed on the ballot.

Notes

29-250 C.M.R. ch. 535, § 3