Secretary Of State Uses Animation To Explain Ranked Choice Voting [VIDEO]

Secretary of State Matt Dunlap has released an animated video to help explain to Mainers how to navigate ranked-choice voting.

In the June election, residents will vote for their top 3 candidates, in order of preference. If no one wins more than 50 percent of the votes after the first count, then the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Voters who chose the eliminated candidate would then have their ballots added to the totals of their second-choice candidate, and the votes would be counted again. This process continues until only two candidates remain, with the one who has the majority of the votes declared the winner.

Confusing? You betcha! And controversial, with the voter-approved measure being criticized by lawmakers, including Matt Dunlap. But the method has moved forward and will be put into use next month.

SOS Dunlap does a good job explaining the process in the video, and the animation is pretty entertaining. So, before you head to the polls next month, take a few minutes to watch 'Animated Matt' answer your questions.