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# Maine Voters Deserve More Freedom: Support Nonpartisan Open Primaries!
- URL: https://ivn.us/maine-voters-deserve-more-freedom-support-nonpartisan-open-primaries/
- Published: 2021-04-05T11:45:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-22T20:09:49.000Z
- Author: Joe H Pickering Jr
- Tags: Opinion

*Editor's Note: The following piece was originally published as a "Letter to the Editor" for the Portland Press Herald and has been republiched on IVN by request and with permission from the author.*

‍

Maine voters still live in a darkened room called the closed primary. In [a 2014 New York Times op-ed](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/opinion/charles-schumer-adopt-the-open-primary.html?ref=ivn.us), Sen. Chuck Schumer urged America to adopt a top-two open-primary system. Sen. Joe Baldacci is sponsoring a top-two open-primary bill in Maine, [L.D. 1121](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display%5Fps.asp?LD=1121&snum=130&ref=ivn.us). It's truly democracy in action!

In an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News, Sen. Chloe Maxmin [states](https://bangordailynews.com/2021/02/12/opinion/building-an-inclusive-democracy-starts-with-semi-open-primaries/?ref=ivn.us): "Building an inclusive democracy starts with semi-open primaries." Why?

In 2017, the Bangor League of Women Voters recommended a top-four open primary with ranked-choice voting, which the state league rejected. Nearly four years later, the Maine League [commended](https://www.lwvme.org/node/2783?ref=ivn.us#m%5F-2227074129136454845docs-internal-guid-d114e970-7fff-5a99-f25c-e5b19e168292:~:text=ICYMI%3A%20In%20the%20November%203%20election%2C,of%20Alaska%20who%20supported%20the%20measure!) the Alaska voter and Alaska League for [achieving](https://ivn.us/posts/alaska-becomes-first-in-the-nation-to-approve-top-4-primary-with-ranked-choice-voting) this first-in-the-nation goal. Alas, Maine could have lived its motto to lead the nation!

The Maine League's "Maine: The State of Our Democracy" report [states](https://www.lwvme.org/sites/default/files/2021%5FMarch%5FState%20of%20Democracy%5FFINAL.pdf?ref=ivn.us#page=20): "Maine leads the nation in protecting voting rights." Major problem: Everyone's votes are within the two-party system. Alaska is free of it, and the Maine League praised Alaska for that.

May Maine voters and organizations testify in support of Sen. Joe Baldacci's top-two primary election bill at the [public hearing April 12](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display%5Fps.asp?LD=1121&snum=130&ref=ivn.us). Mainers deserve voter freedom and greater candidate choice. Justice delayed is justice denied.