Ranked Choice Voting - what it is, and why it matters

Rotary Clubs across Maine are opening their doors to former State Senator Dick Woodbury for presentations on Ranked Choice Voting; what it is, and why it matters. Last year, 73,000 Mainers signed petitions to place a nonpartisan citizen initiative for Ranked Choice Voting on the November 2016 ballot. If enacted by voters this fall, Ranked Choice Voting would be used to elect Maine’s Governor, U.S. Senators, U.S Representatives, State Senators and State Representatives beginning with the 2018 election.

Brief biography: Dick Woodbury is an economist and former Maine State Senator. He served five terms in the legislature, and is currently chairing a citizen initiative to implement ranked choice voting in Maine. In addition to his involvement in Maine politics, Dick works with a national research and education program on population aging. Dick is a graduate of Williams College and has a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. His presentation will describe how ranked choice voting works, and why it matters for politics in Maine.