> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://ivn.us/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Maine Ran Out of Ballots. Here's Why - URL: https://ivn.us/maine-an-out-of-ballots-heres-why/ - Published: 2026-06-17T16:57:34.000Z - Updated: 2026-06-17T16:57:34.000Z - Description: Plus: IVN Joins Forces with Latino News Network & The Fulcrum - Author: IVN Editorial Board - Tags: Weekly Newsletter Maine just reminded the country what a healthy primary looks like. Turnout on June 9 was so strong that some towns ran out of ballots. Election officials are now running the ranked-choice tabulation in five races, the ninth time the state has used the system statewide. The usual fearmongering showed up on cue. [The panic machine is already coming up empty](https://ivn.us/maines-ranked-choice-count-starts-and-the-panic-machine-is-already-losing/). We've also got news of our own. IVN has entered a [collaborative partnership](https://ivn.us/independent-voter-news-joins-forces-with-latino-news-network-and-the-fulcrum-to-expand-voter-first-journalism/) with the Latino News Network and The Fulcrum. Three outlets, one shared conviction: American democracy is best served by journalism that reaches the people most often left out of the conversation. The rest of the week's coverage stays on the same fault line. Steve Peace explains [why California fraud claims can't be proved either way](https://ivn.us/fraud-may-very-well-be-happening-in-california-but-you-cant-prove-it-heres-why/). John Palmer makes the case to [fix Top-Two rather than scrap it](https://ivn.us/dont-scrap-top-two-fix-its-strategic-voting-problem/). And Jeremy Gruber reports on [New York City independents](https://ivn.us/nyc-independents-turn-up-the-heat-on-a-system-built-to-ignore-them/) pushing back on a system built to ignore them. And if you want to go deeper this week, there's a free event worth your time. This Thursday, June 18, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM ET, the Forward Party and Open Primaries are hosting a [virtual town hall on ballot access](https://ivn.us/virtual-town-hall-to-examine-ballot-access-barriers-in-new-mexico-texas-and-arizona/) in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Featuring Jeremy Gruber of Open Primaries and Oliver Hall of the Center for Competitive Democracy. Free and open to all. Check out more stories that go outside the two-sided narrative below. ### *FEATURED ▶▶▶* ## Maine’s Ranked-Choice Count Starts, and the Panic Machine Is Already Losing Three high-profile contests are headed to RCV: the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries and the Democratic race in Maine's 2nd Congressional District, none of which produced a majority winner on election night. Results are expected before Friday's Juneteenth holiday - and despite the usual round of fearmongering, **the panic machine is already coming up empty**. [READ FULL ARTICLE](https://ivn.us/maines-ranked-choice-count-starts-and-the-panic-machine-is-already-losing/) ### *SIGN UP ▶▶▶* ## This Thursday: Virtual Town Hall on Ballot Access in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/06/FWD_Townhall-1.png)](https://ivn.us/virtual-town-hall-to-examine-ballot-access-barriers-in-new-mexico-texas-and-arizona/) Take a close look at three states where the stakes are high with Jeremy Gruber of Open Primaries and Oliver Hall of the Center for Competitive Democracy and dig into the barriers facing independent and non-major-party candidates. [Join by video here](https://meet.google.com/avz-bdxm-xam?ref=ivn.us) on Thursday. [ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?action=TEMPLATE&text=Virtual%20Town%20Hall%3A%20Ballot%20Access%20in%20New%20Mexico%2C%20Texas%2C%20and%20Arizona&dates=20260618T213000Z/20260618T223000Z&details=Examining%20ballot%20access%20laws...%0AJoin%20Google%20Meet%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fmeet.google.com%2Favz-bdxm-xam&ref=ivn.us) ### *POPULAR ON IVN ▶▶▶* [Maine's Ranked-Choice Count Starts, and the Panic Machine Is Already Losing ](https://ivn.us/maines-ranked-choice-count-starts-and-the-panic-machine-is-already-losing/) By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/02/Cara-McCormick-IVN.png) Cara Brown McCormick [ ![Maine ranked choice count](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/06/maine-ranked-choice-count.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/maines-ranked-choice-count-starts-and-the-panic-machine-is-already-losing/) [Don't Scrap Top-Two. Fix Its Strategic Voting Problem. ](https://ivn.us/dont-scrap-top-two-fix-its-strategic-voting-problem/) By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/03/1576175142139-1.jpg) John E Palmer [ ![California voter headed to vote](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/06/california-voter-headed-to-vote.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/dont-scrap-top-two-fix-its-strategic-voting-problem/) [DC Says Democracy Costs Too Much. Its Budget Says Otherwise. ](https://ivn.us/dc-says-democracy-costs-too-much-its-budget-says-otherwise/) By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/02/dJY12ln-_400x400.jpg) Shawn Griffiths [ ![Washington DC primary election](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/06/washington-dc-primary-election.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/dc-says-democracy-costs-too-much-its-budget-says-otherwise/) [NYC Independents Turn Up the Heat on a System Built to Ignore Them ](https://ivn.us/nyc-independents-turn-up-the-heat-on-a-system-built-to-ignore-them/) By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/06/1517747530842.jpg) Jeremy Gruber [ ![New York City](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/06/new-york-city.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/nyc-independents-turn-up-the-heat-on-a-system-built-to-ignore-them/) [Maine Let Independents In — Then Made Candidates Earn a Majority ](https://ivn.us/maine-let-independents-in-then-made-candidates-earn-a-majority/) By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/02/dJY12ln-_400x400.jpg) Shawn Griffiths [ ![Maine semi-open primary ranked choice voting](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/06/maine-semi-open-primary-ranked-choice-voting-independent-voters.png) ](https://ivn.us/maine-let-independents-in-then-made-candidates-earn-a-majority/) [Fraud May Very Well Be Happening in California. But You Can't Prove It. Here's Why. ](https://ivn.us/fraud-may-very-well-be-happening-in-california-but-you-cant-prove-it-heres-why/) By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/02/Steve-Peace.jpg) Steve Peace [ ![California late vote count election fraud accusations](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/06/california-late-vote-count-election-fraud-accusations.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/fraud-may-very-well-be-happening-in-california-but-you-cant-prove-it-heres-why/) ### *ANNOUNCEMENT ▶▶▶* ## IVN Joins Forces with Latino News Network & The Fulcrum to Expand Voter-First Journalism [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/06/IVN_Fulcrum_LNN_Announcement-1.png)](https://ivn.us/independent-voter-news-joins-forces-with-latino-news-network-and-the-fulcrum-to-expand-voter-first-journalism/) Independent Voter News (IVN) has entered into a collaborative partnership with the Latino News Network (LNN) and The Fulcrum, bringing together three outlets whose editorial missions converge on a shared conviction: that American democracy is best served by journalism that reaches the people most often left out of the conversation. [LEARN MORE ON IVN](https://ivn.us/independent-voter-news-joins-forces-with-latino-news-network-and-the-fulcrum-to-expand-voter-first-journalism/) ### *NEW EPISODE ▶▶▶* ## Independent Voter Podcast Chad, Shawn, and Cara break down the five-day vote count that knocked Spencer Pratt out of the LA mayoral runoff - and **why "fraud" is the wrong story**. [WATCH NOW](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg1trJf7iYQ&ref=ivn.us) ### *GOING VIRAL ▶▶▶* ## Gavin Newsom Accuses Trump of Sending Federal Agents to Harass Wife's Friends [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/06/Untitled-design--11-.png)](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZnlke2j8ZX/?ref=ivn.us) Why are federal agents knocking on the doors of Gavin Newsom's wife's friends? Our clip of Newsom has received over 200K views and counting [on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZnlke2j8ZX/?ref=ivn.us). [WATCH NOW ON INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZnlke2j8ZX/?ref=ivn.us) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/05/omp-320x50-1.gif)](https://openmyprimary.org/?ref=ivn.us) ## NEW: Join the Conversation Now, when you [sign-up for an account on IVN](https://ivn.us/#/portal/signup), you can help frame, change, and inform the discussion. In fact, you can [submit your own news stories](https://ivn.us/publish/), as long as you follow the simple [IVN Etiquette](https://ivn.us/etiquette/). [SIGN UP NOW](https://ivn.us/#/portal/signup)