RADIO ADDRESS: Respecting the will of the people, the Secretary of State and the legislative process

Government works best when all branches and office operate within their scope of power as outlined in the Maine Constitution. To me, it is simple. The law grants the Secretary of State full authority to conduct elections. The Senate ought to let the Secretary do his job.

Hi, this is Senator Mike Carpenter of Aroostook County. Thanks for tuning in.

In 2016, about 400,000 Maine people supported a citizens’ initiative to institute ranked-choice voting in Maine. Although I was not a supporter of that initiative, I believe it is the duty of the Legislature to respect the will of the people and not stand in the way of the law.

However, this week has been a tumultuous one for ranked-choice voting and for regular legislative order.

On Monday, the Maine Senate passed an unprecedented Senate Order at the behest of the Senate President and Senate Republicans due to concerns that they raised regarding the implementation of ranked-choice voting. The Senate Order which granted the Senate President broad, unheard of powers to bring suit against the Secretary of State and it came as a surprise to Democrats. Many of the concerns voiced by Senate Republicans during the debate questioned the authority of the Secretary of State to execute elections in the state.

I want to be clear: the Senate President does not speak for the entirety of the Senate. I believe that the Secretary of State is acting well within his authority. As the lead Senate Democrat on the Legislature’s Committee on Veteran and Legal Affairs – the Committee that deals with elections – I have not seen any evidence to suggest that the Secretary of State has acted inappropriately or beyond his authority.

Further, it is not clear that the Senate has the power to pursue a legal action as only one half of the Legislative branch of government.

Therefore, on Thursday, I introduced a joint order to direct the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee to report out a bill that would address the number of concerns expressed by Senate Republicans regarding the execution of all elections–primary, general and special. While I do not share those concerns and do not believe that the Secretary of State needs this, I believe the best way to move forward is to address any and all concerns through the Legislative process.

This order would have resulted in a bill that would have fixed the concerns raised by the Republicans. I am deeply disappointed my colleagues across the aisle chose to vote against my order.

If Senate Republicans were really concerned, this was their opportunity to offer a legislative fix. That’s what we do all the time around here. What we have here seems to be just another attempt to disregard the will of the voters because certain members of one legislative body don’t agree with the result. That’s just wrong. We are here to serve people of Maine and not our own individual philosophies.

I know ranked-choice voting is a new system and will be a change that folks have to get used to. But I am confident we can make it happen. It’s the law. In Committee, my colleagues and I have heard regularly not only from the Secretary but municipal clerks from all across the state–public servants who are ready and able to fulfill the will of the people and implement this new voting system.

As former attorney general, a lawmaker and life-long Mainer, I have the utmost confidence in Maine’s Secretary of State and our election system to function properly come June the 12th. I believe on June the 12th we will see ranked-choice voting in Maine for the first time.

This is Senator Mike Carpenter, thanks again for tuning in.

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