A bill in the state legislature would change Maine’s process for awarding electoral votes from a congressional district method to a winner-take-all format if Nebraska did the same.
If both states went to a winner-take-all format, it’s thought Maine would vote Democratic and Nebraska would vote Republican, and the two states would cancel each other out.
The bill is sponsored by Democrats, who say it would deter Nebraska from moving to a winner-take-all system.
It’s opposed by conservatives, including the Maine Policy Institute, who want to preserve the voice of the 2nd District, which votes reliably Republican.
Maine and Nebraska are the only states using the congressional district method.
Nebraska’s 2nd District is trending Democratic and gave the party its single electoral vote in the last presidential election. Meanwhile, Maine’s 2nd District has given its one electoral vote to Republicans in the last three presidential cycles, while the rest of the state supports Democrats.
The current Maine bill is sponsored by Representative Adam R. Lee, D – Auburn and has nine Democratic cosponsors.
The bill’s language states it would, “Change the State’s Method of Allocating Electoral Votes from a Congressional District Method to a Winner-take-all Method Contingent on the State of Nebraska Changing its Method of Allocating Electoral Votes.”
The measure was given a public hearing in the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs Monday.
Representative Kristen Cloutier, D – Lewiston, a bill cosponsor, submitted testimony, saying the bill is “critical to preserving the ability of those of us living in the Second Congressional District to have our voices heard.” She said, “If Nebraska abandons its current method of distributing electoral votes, Maine will become the focal point of an intense pressure campaign to do so as well. This campaign would distract precious time and resources from the issues Mainers expect and deserve us to address.”
Harris Van Pate with the Maine Policy Institute submitted testimony opposing the measure. “Tying Maine’s election laws to Nebraska’s legislative process is unprecedented and irresponsible,” said Van Pate. “(The bill) is a misguided attempt to undermine Maine’s thoughtful, representative method of allocating electoral votes. It raises serious constitutional questions, invites future legal challenges, and weakens both electoral fairness and state sovereignty.”
The Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs Monday also heard two bills by Republicans that would repeal a law passed last year joining Maine to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
If enacted, the Compact would sack the Electoral College voting system in favor of a popular vote, ensuring the presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes nationwide is elected president.
Democrats have won seven of the last nine popular votes in Presidential elections, although Republican Donald Trump won the last popular vote by a margin of 1.49 percent.
