Dear Editor:

Did David beat Goliath? Did mankind win dominion over the animal kingdom - dinosaurs, elephants, tigers, and lions?

If defeat was not possible, why are we hearing panic from our emotion-driven right-brain side? Don’t be fooled that the battle is between two candidates or you will miss the greatest strategic result in history. But you will have to wait for that revelation. Today’s letter is about a direct democracy ballot item that seeks your understanding and vote.

Clean elections arrived first in Maine’s direct democracy family. She was so remarkable that other states adopted her pure structure. Her results were better than expected – allowing gifted Mainers to represent their neighbors and improving the tone of campaigns.

The newest family member - Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) - has a genetic history of 123 years in Australia. The birth in Maine was only a matter of time. Progress doesn’t come by chance - they say it is delivered by destiny. He rode in on horseback to mirror corporate board majority vote requirements that “makes directors more accountable to the shareowners." Petitioners were aware of the strength and value of this cost saving voting method. While created in 1871 by U.S. architect William Robert Ware, its value remained elusive in a two-party system. Today Maine follows other state leads, including counties in Vermont, North Carolina, Minnesota, and the state of Washington. Malta and Ireland elect their national legislatures by way of the single transferable vote (STV) based on ranking preferences. RCV is used to elect a single candidate from a field of more than two candidates garnering majority votes without costly runoffs.

Maine stands tall in taking the next step of increasing democracy and saving taxpayers large sums of money. Being a ranked candidate means you work hard to be first choice for most and 2nd choice if not first when 3 or more candidates are running. Having ranked choice voting means more candidates can decide to run when they believe they can best represent their constituents – irrespective of their party affiliations. Voting choices are broader, increasing chances of better results. Clean elections and rank choice – Maine’s representative democracy family. Can Maine defeat Goliath?

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb