Bruce Poliquin Files Lawsuit To Stop Ranked Choice Voting Count

Representative Bruce Poliquin has filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of State, in an attempt to halt the ongoing ranked choice voting tabulations.

The Portland Press Herald reports Poliquin is joined on the lawsuit by several Republican voters, including the chairman of the Penobscot County Republican Committee, Brett Baber. The incumbent is asking for a preliminary injunction of the retabulation that takes place during ranked choice voting. Poliquin has stated on his Facebook page that he feels he won the election already, since he initially got the most votes. However, neither he nor Democrat Jared Golden got 50 percent of the votes which prompted the next round of vote counting.

This is the first time ranked choice voting is being used for a federal election. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the votes in the initial election, then all votes for the candidate in last place are thrown out, and each of those voters' second choice candidate receives their votes. The process will be repeated until one candidate has a majority. It's a practice approved by Maine voters, but has had its constitutionality questioned.

Also requested in the lawsuit that was filed Tuesday morning in Bangor is that all ballot processing in advance of the retabulation cease until a judge can rule. As of 10:30 a.m., the retabulation was still going on.

Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap released a statement on Twitter this morning: