AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) A Democrat’s bill would allow presidential primaries in Maine and expand a voter-approved ranked voting system to presidential races.

The Legislature’s scheduled for a hearing Wednesday on Democratic Senate President Troy Jackson’s bill.

Currently, Maine has a presidential caucus system that allows voters to gather at meetings and vote on candidates.

Jackson’s bill says Maine would hold presidential primary elections sometime in March if a political party decides to do so. Jackson says he expects more people would turn out under a primary system run by clerks and the Secretary of State.

Maine in November ran the nation’s first congressional race that allowed voters to rank candidates on the ballots.

Jackson’s bill says Maine votes cast for presidential candidates in primaries and general elections would be tabulated under ranked voting.