MAINE VOTERS ADOPT RANKED CHOICE VOTING, LEAD THE WAY FOR MORE CHOICE, MORE VOICE

Question 5 wins with 52%
PORTLAND, MAINE — On November 8, Maine voters passed Question 5 and became the first state in the nation to adopt Ranked Choice Voting for state and federal elections. The Yes On 5 campaign was led by the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting, a grassroots, Maine-based organization founded by former independent state senator Dick Woodbury of Yarmouth, and led by Kyle Bailey of Gorham.
“Passage of Question 5 is a historic victory for the people of Maine,” said campaign chair Dick Woodbury. “Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens, and Libertarians across Maine understand that the system is broken, and they have taken an important step to help fix it.”
“Maine people have exercised their right to change the way we elect our leaders,” said campaign manager Kyle Bailey. “Question 5 levels the playing field for candidates with the best ideas and gives more choice and more voice to voters, so you never have to vote for the lesser of two evils.”
Question 5 was endorsed by over 500 civic, business, labor, and faith leaders and organizations, and newspapers across Maine. The campaign was supported by a politically diverse campaign committee and county co-chairs. The nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Maine endorsed Ranked Choice Voting in 2011 and convened a working group that drafted the law on which the initiative was based.
“Maine has not elected a governor to a first term with majority support since 1966,” said Jill Ward, President of the League of Women Voters of Maine. “Ranked Choice Voting restores majority rule and puts more power in the hands of voters.”
FairVote, a national organization that advocates for Ranked Choice Voting and other proven solutions to give more voice to voters, supported a project in Maine to educate voters about this reform.
“The adoption of Ranked Choice Voting in Maine marks a dramatic step forward for American democracy,” said FairVote executive director Rob Richie, “Maine's groundbreaking victory promises to inspire other states to embrace this better system.”
Under the new law, Ranked Choice Voting will take effect in Maine in 2018 for primary and general elections for U.S. Senate, Congress, Governor, State Senate, and State Representative. “The voters of Maine have spoken,” said Ward. “We’re ready to get to work to ensure that this new law is implemented efficiently and effectively, and that the will of the people is upheld.”

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Your VOTE 2013: Question 5 Maine Community College System Improvements

MAINE - This year there are five bond questions going before voters on November 5th, 2013 totaling
$182 million with interest. RCN America Network will break down each bond question.

Do you favor a $15,500,000 bond issue to upgrade buildings, classrooms and laboratories on the 7 campuses of the Maine Community College System in order to increase capacity to serve more students through expanded programs in health care, precision machining, information technology, criminal justice and other key programs?

Below is a breakdown of where the money, if approved, will go.

$2,350,000 Central Maine Community College in Auburn – to construct a building to house science laboratories, classrooms, and offices to support the expansion and addition of associate degree programs.

$2,450,000 Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor – to expand the academic building known as Maine Hall to accommodate additional academic classrooms, including health sciences classrooms, and more laboratory space, including a criminal justice simulation laboratory.



$2,000,000 Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield and Hinckley – to renovate existing buildings to provide classroom and laboratory spaces that will enable expansion of the precision machining and electrical lineworker programs, addition of a culinary arts program, and relocation of the early childhood program. Funds also will be used to remove hazardous materials, improve environmental systems and purchase classroom equipment.

$   900,000 Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle – to renovate Aroostook Hall to provide added classrooms, laboratories and offices for expanded programs in allied health.  Funds also will be used to construct a new maintenance facility and to purchase classroom equipment.

$3,400,000 Southern Maine Community College in South Portland and Brunswick – to renovate and upgrade buildings to allow for relocation and expansion of programs to the new Brunswick campus, to increase the enrollment capacity of the integrated manufacturing program, and to purchase classroom equipment.

$1,000,000 Washington County Community College in Calais – to renovate and increase the energy efficiency of the Harold Howland Building; to improve existing systems and equipment and convert space for use by the heavy equipment programs; and to purchase classroom equipment.


$3,400,000 York County Community College in Wells – to construct a building that will house classrooms, computer laboratories, and office space, and to purchase classroom equipment for the new degree program in precision machining.