Ranked-choice voting is set for Maine’s 2026 election

What voters will see

Ranked-choice voting will be part of Maine’s 2026 election process. In contests using the method, voters will rank their choices instead of selecting only one choice, following the directions on the ballot.

The development is about election administration, not a particular campaign. No race or candidate is directly connected to it, and no candidate policy positions are part of the issue. That means voters should not assume that every contest on a 2026 ballot will use the same voting method.

Before voting, Mainers should identify which contests use ranked-choice voting and read the instructions for those sections of the ballot. The instructions will matter for voters deciding how many choices they want to rank and the order in which they want to list them.

What remains important for 2026

The main process questions are which 2026 contests will use ranked-choice voting, what the ballot instructions will say and how results will be reported. Race-specific information will allow voters to distinguish ranked-choice contests from contests using another method.

Voters can prepare by reviewing the ballot format and voting directions before casting a ballot. They should also watch for official information about the contests covered, the order of choices on the ballot and the process used to report results.

Because no candidates are tied to this development, the immediate focus is how Maine will administer voting. Candidate positions, endorsements, fundraising and polling are not part of this election-process update.