LEWISTON, Maine — Election officials announced that additional counting and redistribution of votes will be needed in Maine’s ranked-choice voting system to determine the victor in a crucial congressional race, as neither candidate secured a majority initially. This process commenced on Friday, despite Democratic Representative Jared Golden’s assertion that he had won without further tabulations.
The contest between Golden and his Republican opponent, Austin Theriault, in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District is one of several critical races yet to declare a winner, with the control of the U.S. House of Representatives hanging in the balance. As it stands, the results from Maine will not be available until next week, pending further evaluations.
In the ranked-choice voting system, should a candidate not achieve a majority in the first round, the votes from the eliminated candidate’s supporters are recalibrated to help establish a winner. Moreover, any second choices from voters who abstained from selecting a first choice will also be incorporated into the tally. If these reallocations still don’t yield a candidate with over 50% plus one vote, the process continues with third choices and so forth.
No winner has been declared in the race as of now, with the official announcement delayed until next week. This is required as ballots from various towns and cities in the district must first reach the state capital for re-scanning into a centralized computer system.
The initial count was exceedingly close prompting Theriault to seek a recount; however, his campaign conveyed its support for following the ranked-choice counting method. Theriault’s campaign manager, Shawn Roderick, emphasized their intention to adhere to the established process and await its progression according to the law.
Meanwhile, Golden’s campaign contended that the ranked-choice mechanism was unnecessary, asserting that he had already exceeded the 50% threshold for first-choice votes reported by clerks on Tuesday. They stated, “Voters have a right to see elections decided both accurately and expediently.”
Ranked voting typically applies in elections featuring more than two candidates, but in this instance, Golden and Theriault were the only names included on the ballot, although voters had the option to write in candidates.
Maine does not mandate recounts, even in tightly contested races, but candidates can request one. Notably, there is no deposit requirement for a recount if the winning margin is 1% or less in congressional elections.
The narrow result occurred in an election where Republican Donald Trump achieved victory in the 2nd District, securing one of Maine’s four electoral votes—a rarity as Maine is one of only two states that apportions its electoral votes. During the campaign, Golden spotlighted his bipartisanship and support for the lobster industry, which is vital to the local economy. Conversely, Theriault, who began his legislative journey in 2022, framed Golden as overly liberal for the district while attempting to position himself as a potential unifier amid a fragmented political climate in Washington.
