Portland Charter Commission Recommends IRV

Local in Maine

This November, the voters of Portland (ME) will get the chance to decide if they would like to use instant runoff voting to elect their mayor, after a special Charter Commission recommended IRV by an overwhelming margin of 9 to 1. Eight elections since 2004 have yielded only plurality winners who have taken office with less than 48% of the vote. If Portland enacts IRV, the voters of Portland will begin ensuring majority-supported winners beginning in 2012.