Maine is doing something weird: ranked voting. Voters in the Democratic and Republican primaries will rank their candidates in preferred order. If no candidate gets 50 percent on the first go, the lowest-ranked candidate will be eliminated and the second-place votes of their voters will be distributed. That will be repeated until a candidate hits 50 percent. Beyond the potential chaos of Maine’s overall voting system this year, there will be closely watched primaries for both the governor’s seat (current Republican Gov. Paul LePage is term-limited) and the Democratic primary challenging Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin. Polls close at 8 pm Eastern time. We will have live results for the Senate and key House races below, powered by Decision Desk. Maine governor Democratic primary: Janet Mills leads the field to reclaim the office for Democrats In the best poll we have of the race, Janet Mills — Maine’s attorney general since 2013, and a state lawmaker before that — was way ahead of the field, with 32 percent of the vote. So while she is the frontrunner, she has some credible challengers. Mark Eves, a former Maine House speaker, had 16 percent of the vote, good enough for second place, in the poll we have. State Sen. Mark Dion had 10 percent. Democratic organizer Adam Cote was the other notable finisher, at 9 percent. Maine governor Republican primary: all the major candidates are hugging close to outgoing Gov. Paul LePage Business executive Shawn Moody is the leader in the Republican primary based on the best available polling, sitting at 36 percent. But he doesn’t seem to have a majority and faces several credible Republican challengers. Mary Mayhew — who, as LePage’s top health official, has been instrumental in helping to block the Medicaid expansion — came in second at 19 percent, and she has also said she will continue to obstruct expansion. Garrett Mason, the Maine Senate majority leader, registered third at 15 percent, and House Minority Leader Ken Fredette was fourth with 10 percent. Whoever emerges from both parties’ primaries, the November general election should be competitive. Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, while the University of Virginia’s Crystal Ball thinks it leans toward the Democrats. LePage is pretty unpopular: 41 percent of Mainers approve of his job performance and 53 percent disapprove, according to Morning Consult. Then again, he’s been elected twice and Donald Trump lost narrowly (3 points) in 2016. Maine’s Second Congressional District Democratic primary: Democrats look for a candidate to challenge Republican Bruce Poliquin State Rep. Jared Golden, bookseller Craig Olson, and nonprofit director Lucas St. Clair make up the field. Golden and St. Clair have the lead on fundraising. Golden is a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and a former staffer for Maine Sen. Susan Collins. St. Clair is a conservationist and the son of Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby. He played an active role in pressing then-President Barack Obama to preserve Katahdin Woods and Waters as a national monument. Two-term incumbent Bruce Poliquin seeks to defend his seat. While Trump took this district in 2016 — marking an unprecedented split of Maine’s electoral votes — Democrats aim to focus on health care in an effort to flip voters. Poliquin was one of the swing votes on the House Obamacare repeal bill, and his vote in favor of the plan is likely to be held against him. Cook says this district is just R+2 (meaning it leans just 2 points toward Republicans compared to the nation as a whole) and rates it Lean Republican.<doc-sep>Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT ELECTION DAY STARTED EARLY WITH PEOPLE STREAMING INTO POLLING SITES ACROSS THE STATE AND LEAVING WITH THE STICKERS. HERE IN MAINE THE BALLOT LOOKS DIFFERENT. VOTERS ARE ASKED TO RANK THEIR CHOICES. YOU PRIORITIZE ANY GO FROM THERE. WE DO THIS IN SHOPPING AND OTHER PLACES. LAUREN: THERE ARE BALLOTS PINNED TO THE WALL SO PEOPLE CAN TAKE A LOOK AND ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE VOTING. THIS NEW PROCESS IS A WELCOMED CHANGE FOR SOME VOTERS. >> I THINK WE NEED MORE EXPERIMENTATION WITH DEMOCRACY AND NOT BE SO AFRAID AND NOT BE SO AFRAID TO CHANGE THINGS AROUND. LAUREN: WE CAUGHT UP WITH SECRETARY OF STATE MATT DUNLAP IN PORTLAND WHO SAYS THE ELECTION IS GOING SMOOTHLY. >> REALLY NO DISCUSSION AT ALL ABOUT THE BALLOT THE RANKED CHOICE BALLOT VOTERS SEEM TO BE INTUTIVELY GRASPING THAT WHICH GRATIFYING -- IS GRATIFYING. LAUREN: DUNLAP SAYS THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT QUESTION 1 IN CUMBERLAND, VOTERS WAITED IN A LINE OUT THE DOOR AS THE TOWN MANAGER EXPLAINED. >> YES MEANS YOU WANT TO KEEP RANKED CHOICE VOTING NO MEANS YOU DON’T WANT RANKED CHOICE VOTING. THAT’S HOW SIMPLE I CAN MAKE IT. >> I HAD TO READ IT CAREFULLY AND I’M GLAD I SPOKE WITH SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT LET ME KNOW YES MEANS YES AND NO MEANS NO. LAUREN AND THE FATE OF THIS NEW : VOTING PROCESS IS LEFT UP TO THE PEOPLE HERE TODAY. >> WE’LL SEE IF, WHETHER OR NOT WE GO FORWARD IN NOVEMBER. LAUREN: THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS TURNOUT WAS HIGHER THEN THEY PROJECTED. THEY EXPECTED 25 OR 30 HE SAID THE BALLOTS ARE RUNNING LOW IN POLLING LOCATIONS AND THEY ARE BEING ASK Advertisement Voter turnout strong as Maine uses ranked-choice voting for first time Primaries being held for Maine governor, 2nd Congressional District Share Shares Copy Link Copy For the first time, Maine voters will use ranked-choice voting in several major races. Strong turnout has been reported across the state, with some polling locations running low on ballots.Each community started the day with enough ballots for roughly 60 percent turnout.Secretary of State Matt Dunlap said he has authorized town clerks to photo copy ballots if they get close to running out.Dunlap said no polling locations had run out of ballots as of Tuesday early evening.Statewide voter turnout is expected to be 25-30 percent.Here is what to know about Tuesday's primary.Tap here to see results for all races after the polls closeRanked-Choice VotingRanked-choice voting will be used in four races where there are more than two candidates: the Democratic gubernatorial primary, the Republican gubernatorial primary, the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary and the Republican State House District 75 primary. All other races have two candidates or are unopposed.If a candidate in the ranked-choice voting races receives 50 percent, plus one in the initial vote tally, that candidate will be declared the winner. If no candidate receives 50 percent, plus one after the initial tally, the votes are tabulated in rounds until there are two candidates left. The candidate with the majority of votes in the final round is declared a winner. It is likely it will take several days for winners to be declared in the ranked-choice races. If no candidate receives a majority after the initial tally, the ballots will be taken to Augusta where the ranked-choice tabulation will be conducted by the Maine Secretary of State's Office. (Android App Users: Tap here to make sure you can view primary results)Races To WatchMaine Governor - DemocratsThe Candidates:Adam Cote: Cote, a Sanford lawyer, was the first Democrat to launch a gubernatorial campaign. The father of five served 21 years in the National Guard. He survived a suicide bombing in Mosul, Iraq that killed 22 people. Cote believes Maine needs someone in the Blaine House who is an outsider. Cote said Maine is primed for economic growth, but more needs to be done to attract and retain workers. Cote wants to invest in broadband, workforce training and finding the next generation of products that will come from the state's "competitive advantages," like forestry, agriculture and aquaculture.Donna Dion: Dion, of Biddeford, served as the city's mayor for 15 years. She said her skills with people and finance will serve her well in the Blaine House. Dion said she wants to implement user fees for people who own homes in Maine but don't list Maine as their primary residence. She said the fee would help rebuild the state's crumbling infrastructure. Dion said respect is an important part of her campaign. She wants Democrats and Republicans working together to solve the state's problems.Mark Dion: A former Portland police officer and Cumberland County Sheriff, Dion is well-known in the greater Portland area. After leaving law enforcement, Dion opened a law practice and has served in the Maine Legislature. Dion prides himself on his practical approach to law enforcement and marijuana legalization legislation. Dion said if he is elected governor, he will work to contain the high health care costs Mainers face.Mark Eves: Former House Speaker Eves said making sure his children have opportunities to stay in Maine as adults is what's driving his bid for governor. Eves said his regional jobs plan has already been proven successful through two training programs at Maine community colleges. Eves is a family therapist who served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives. He often clashed with Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Eves said he is a progressive Democrat, and believes a single-payer health care system can become a reality in Maine. His campaign is the first in Maine to unionize.Janet Mills: Maine Attorney General Mills said health care is her No. 1 priority, including addressing the state's opioid epidemic. Mills said she would appoint someone to be Maine's point person in the fight against addiction. Mill said as attorney general, she has bought enough doses of naloxone to equip 78 law enforcement agencies with the opioid overdose-reversing medication. Mills has often clashed with Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Her office has refused to represent the LePage administration in court. She hopes to become Maine's first woman governor.Diane Russell: Russell, of Portland, is probably the most liberal of the Democratic candidates for governor, but said that doesn't mean she can't win the primary. Russell is known for her work to create a commission tasked to reduce the number of Democratic superdelegates by two-thirds before the next presidential election. Russell also supported the efforts to legalize marijuana and adopt ranked-choice voting. Russell said she wants to close corporate loopholes to fight food insecurity. Russell said it is time for a new generation to lead the state in Augusta.Betsy Sweet: Sweet has lobbied for progressive issues in Augusta for 35 years. She said she has lobbied for people with disabilities, the elderly, women, children and people with low incomes. Sweet said she does not represent for-profit organizations. Sweet is running as a clean elections candidate and wants to get big money out of politics. Sweet helped write Maine's clean elections law and sees it as a way to limit the influence of people with deep pockets. Sweet said she is the right person to fix what is wrong in Augusta.Maine Governor - RepublicansThe Candidates:Ken Fredette: Fredette is the Minority Leader in the Maine House of Representatives. Fredette lists cutting taxes, adding to Maine's rainy-day fund and lowering the state's unemployment rate among his accomplishments. Fredette said he has an ambitious plan to fight the state's opioid epidemic by increasing the Maine State Police force, paying them more money and use the National Guard to stop drugs at the border. Fredette is a lawyer and serves as a lieutenant colonel and judge advocate general in the Maine Air National Guard.Garret Mason: Mason is a four-term state senator from Lisbon and has served the past two terms as Senate Majority Leader. Mason said his experience working in his family's excavation business and his time in the Legislature make him the best candidate to advance beyond the primary. Mason is running as a clean elections candidate despite opposing the program in the past.<doc-sep>Mills, Cote in tight race for Democratic nomination for governor Share Shares Copy Link Copy Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT AUGUSTA, WHO’S BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY. GOOD MORNING, KATHLEEN. KATHLEEN: GOOD MORNING TO YOU. THE SUN IS UP, BUT THERE IS STILL NO DEFINITE WINNER TO THIS RACE. JANET MILLS AND ADAM COTE, THIS WILL LIKELY GO TO THE RANKED-CHOICE VOTING, SO THE QUESTION IS -- WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? THIS IS ON THE FORMER AUGUSTA MENTAL INSTITUTE, AND THE ELKINS BUILDING. WE ARE NOT TOLD WHERE IN THE BUILDING, BUT WE ARE TOLD IN A SECURE LOCATION. BOTH MILLS AND COTE SAYS THEY KNEW THIS WOULD BE INTERESTING. LAST NIGHT, MILLS TELLING HER SUPPORTERS SHE’S PROUD OF THE CAMPAIGN THEY RAN, AND SHE’S PROUD OF HER FELLOW CANDIDATES, CALLING THEM FRIENDS, AND A SIMILAR STORY FOR COTE, WHO REMAINED OPTIMISTIC HE COULD GRAB THE NOMINATION, THANKING HIS SUPPORTERS THAT WE GATHERED. THEY BOTH KNOW THIS COULD TAKE A WHILE. MR. COTE: WE ABSOLUTELY KNEW IT WOULD NOT BE A BLOW-OUT, PARTICULARLY WITH RANKED-CHOICE VOTING. THIS IS GOING TO BE WITHIN A FEW POINTS TONIGHT. IT’S GOING TO GO PROBABLY ABOUT A WEEK, AND WE DON’T KNOW H IT’S GOING TO END UP. MS. MILLS: YOU KNOW, I THINK WE’VE RUN A VERY POSITIVE CAMPAIGN. THAT’S OUR GOAL. THAT’S OUR INTENT. THAT’S WHAT WE’VE DONE. AND SO I THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE THAT ANYWAY. BUT TO HAVE SIX OTHER PEOPLE IN THE RACE IS INTERESTING TO BEGIN WITH. TO HAVE SIX OTHER PEOPLE IN THE RACE WHERE WE’RE NEVER GOING TO KNOW WHO IS IN FRONT REALL KATHLEEN: SO AGAIN, WE DO KNOW THAT THOSE VOTES WILL BE COUNTED IN THIS BUILDING BEHIND ME. WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE IN THE BUILDING, BUT IT IS A SECURE SPOT. THE SECRETARY’S OFFICE SAYING THEY WILL RECEIVE GET OUR POLITICS NEWSLETTER Stay up to speed on all the latest local and national political news. Submit Privacy Notice<doc-sep>
Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT ELECTION DAY STARTED EARLY WITH PEOPLE STREAMING INTO POLLING SITES ACROSS THE STATE AND LEAVING WITH THE STICKERS. HERE IN MAINE THE BALLOT LOOKS DIFFERENT. VOTERS ARE ASKED TO RANK THEIR CHOICES. YOU PRIORITIZE ANY GO FROM THERE. WE DO THIS IN SHOPPING AND OTHER PLACES. LAUREN: THERE ARE BALLOTS PINNED TO THE WALL SO PEOPLE CAN TAKE A LOOK AND ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE VOTING. THIS NEW PROCESS IS A WELCOMED CHANGE FOR SOME VOTERS. >> I THINK WE NEED MORE EXPERIMENTATION WITH DEMOCRACY AND NOT BE SO AFRAID AND NOT BE SO AFRAID TO CHANGE THINGS AROUND. LAUREN: WE CAUGHT UP WITH SECRETARY OF STATE MATT DUNLAP IN PORTLAND WHO SAYS THE ELECTION IS GOING SMOOTHLY. >> REALLY NO DISCUSSION AT ALL ABOUT THE BALLOT THE RANKED CHOICE BALLOT VOTERS SEEM TO BE INTUTIVELY GRASPING THAT WHICH GRATIFYING -- IS GRATIFYING. LAUREN: DUNLAP SAYS THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT QUESTION 1 IN CUMBERLAND, VOTERS WAITED IN A LINE OUT THE DOOR AS THE TOWN MANAGER EXPLAINED. >> YES MEANS YOU WANT TO KEEP RANKED CHOICE VOTING NO MEANS YOU DON’T WANT RANKED CHOICE VOTING. THAT’S HOW SIMPLE I CAN MAKE IT. >> I HAD TO READ IT CAREFULLY AND I’M GLAD I SPOKE WITH SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT LET ME KNOW YES MEANS YES AND NO MEANS NO. LAUREN AND THE FATE OF THIS NEW : VOTING PROCESS IS LEFT UP TO THE PEOPLE HERE TODAY. >> WE’LL SEE IF, WHETHER OR NOT WE GO FORWARD IN NOVEMBER. LAUREN: THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS TURNOUT WAS HIGHER THEN THEY PROJECTED. THEY EXPECTED 25 OR 30 HE SAID THE BALLOTS ARE RUNNING LOW IN POLLING LOCATIONS AND THEY ARE BEING ASK Advertisement Commitment 2018: Get total Maine primary results, reaction Share Shares Copy Link Copy For the first time, Maine voters are using ranked-choice voting to choose the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor and the Democratic nominee for Maine's 2nd U.S. Congressional District.Tap here to see results for all racesRanked-Choice Voting ExplainedRanked-choice voting will be used in four races where there are more than two candidates: the Democratic gubernatorial primary, the Republican gubernatorial primary, the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary and the Republican State House District 75 primary. All other races have two candidates or are unopposed.If a candidate in the ranked-choice voting races receives 50 percent, plus one in the initial vote tally, that candidate will be declared the winner. If no candidate receives 50 percent, plus one after the initial tally, the votes are tabulated in rounds until there are two candidates left. The candidate with the majority of votes in the final round is declared a winner. It is likely it will take several days for winners to be declared in the ranked-choice races. If no candidate receives a majority after the initial tally, the ballots will be taken to Augusta where the ranked-choice tabulation will be conducted by the Maine Secretary of State's Office.Results(Android app users tap here for instructions on how to view Primary results)Maine Governor - DemocratsSeven candidates, Adam Cote, Donna Dion, Mark Dion, Mark Eves, Janet Mills, Diane Russell and Betsy Sweet, are battling for the Democratic nomination for governor. The winner will appear on the November ballot. Due to the number of candidates, it is unlikely a candidate will receive a majority of votes, triggering ranked-choice voting. It will likely take several days for a winner to be declared.PGRpdiBpZD0iYXBfd2lkZ2V0X2NvbnRhaW5lcl9iODJhYjYzYjM0OTIwYjU0YjQzZjhiYmE5OGEzZTNlMiI+PC9kaXY+CjxzY3JpcHQgaWQ9InNjcmlwdF93Z3RfYjgyYWI2M2IzNDkyMGI1NGI0M2Y4YmJhOThhM2UzZTIiIHNyYz0iaHR0cHM6Ly9kaWdpdGFsc2VydmljZXMuYXAub3JnL3dpZGdldC1jb250ZW50L2I4MmFiNjNiMzQ5MjBiNTRiNDNmOGJiYTk4YTNlM2UyIj48L3NjcmlwdD4=Maine Governor - RepublicansFour candidates, Ken Fredette, Garrett Mason, Mary Mayhew and Shawn Moody, are vying for the Republican nomination for governor. The winner will appear on the November ballot. Due to the number of candidates, it is unlikely a candidate will receive a majority of votes, triggering ranked-choice voting. It will likely take several days for a winner to be declared.PGRpdiBpZD0iYXBfd2lkZ2V0X2NvbnRhaW5lcl84YzI2Zjg1ZDZkNzhjMDBmMDEyZWE4MDQyYmVmM2VkZSI+PC9kaXY+CjxzY3JpcHQgaWQ9InNjcmlwdF93Z3RfOGMyNmY4NWQ2ZDc4YzAwZjAxMmVhODA0MmJlZjNlZGUiIHNyYz0iaHR0cHM6Ly9kaWdpdGFsc2VydmljZXMuYXAub3JnL3dpZGdldC1jb250ZW50LzhjMjZmODVkNmQ3OGMwMGYwMTJlYTgwNDJiZWYzZWRlIj48L3NjcmlwdD4=U.S. 2nd Congressional District - DemocratsThree candidates, Jared Golden, Craig Olson and Lucas St. Clair, are running for the Democratic nomination in Maine's 2nd U.S. Congressional District. The winner will challenge Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin in November. Due to the number of candidates, it is unlikely a candidate will receive a majority of votes, triggering ranked-choice voting. It will likely take several days for a winner to be declared.PGRpdiBpZD0iYXBfd2lkZ2V0X2NvbnRhaW5lcl9lOTk5Mjc3MWE4ZDU5MjNhNGJhNjgzMDNlOGJiM2VhOCI+PC9kaXY+CjxzY3JpcHQgaWQ9InNjcmlwdF93Z3RfZTk5OTI3NzFhOGQ1OTIzYTRiYTY4MzAzZThiYjNlYTgiIHNyYz0iaHR0cHM6Ly9kaWdpdGFsc2VydmljZXMuYXAub3JnL3dpZGdldC1jb250ZW50L2U5OTkyNzcxYThkNTkyM2E0YmE2ODMwM2U4YmIzZWE4Ij48L3NjcmlwdD4=Question 1: Ranked Choice VotingMainers are being asked to weigh in for a second time on ranked-choice voting. Question 1 asks voters whether they want to continue using ranked-choice voting. Supporters of ranked-choice voting launched a "people's veto" after the Legislature voted to delay its implementation.