AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)   The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is wading into ranked choice voting with little time to decide constitutional issues that have been raised ahead of the June primaries.

An attorney for the Senate told justices Thursday that lawmakers never appropriated money to implement the new voting system. But the attorney general’s office contends the secretary of state has broad authority over elections, and that funding is in hand.

The panel on Thursday considered questions forwarded the day before from the Maine Senate, the secretary of state and an advocacy group.

Justices are racing against the clock. The state has said June 12 primary ballots need to be sent to the printer for design and printing by late April.

The voting system would allow Mainers to rank candidates in order of preference.