2016 Maine Question 5

Maine Question 5, formally An Act to Establish Ranked-Choice Voting, is a citizen-initiated referendum question that qualified for the Maine November 8, 2016 statewide ballot. It was approved by a vote of 52% in favor, 48% opposed. It sought to change how most Maine elections will be conducted from a plurality voting system to a ranked-choice voting system (RCV, also known as instant runoff voting). It appeared on the ballot along with elections for President of the United States, Maine's two U.S. House seats, the legislature, five other ballot questions, and various local elections. The referendum was successful, making Maine the first state to use ranked choice voting for its federal elections.

An advisory opinion by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, issued on May 23, 2017, stated that the court would rule ranked-choice voting unconstitutional if it came before them, with respect to elections for state offices. This led the Maine Legislature to vote to delay its implementation until 2021 to allow time for a Constitutional amendment to be passed to permit it. Supporters gathered signatures to force a successful people's veto referendum on the matter in order to prevent the delay.