AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine Democrats were awaiting final results from ranked-choice vote tabulation in the U.S. Senate primary on Thursday, following the June 9 primary election in which no candidate secured an outright majority in initial counts.
Graham Platner, a Sullivan harbor master and Marine veteran, led the field in first-choice votes, according to preliminary results released on election night. State officials are now reallocating votes from eliminated candidates in the ranked-choice process, with final certification expected in the coming days.
The Democratic primary featured a competitive field including Platner, former state Sen. David Costello and other candidates. Incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins ran unopposed on the GOP side and is seeking a sixth term in the November general election, which will also use ranked-choice voting for federal races.
Maine has used ranked-choice voting in primaries and federal general elections since 2018. The process allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the next preferences until a majority is reached.
“Results will likely come sometime next week as the vote tabulation moves from election night tallies to a ranked choice vote count,” officials indicated regarding the timeline for final outcomes.
Ballots from across the state are being transported to Augusta for centralized tabulation. The process can take several days because some towns count by hand and calculations require full data. Preliminary tallies showed Platner with a strong lead, but final results depend on the redistribution rounds.
The Senate race has drawn national attention as a potential battleground in the fight for control of the chamber. Collins, a longtime moderate Republican, faces a challenger in the general election amid a polarized political environment. Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate seat in Maine since 1988.
Other races on the June 9 ballot, including the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries and a congressional district contest, are also proceeding to ranked-choice tabulation where necessary.
As of Thursday, the Secretary of State’s office continued processing ballots. Party nominees will advance to the November 3 general election. Further updates on the exact timing of certification were expected from state election officials.
Voters and candidates expressed confidence in the system’s ability to reflect voter preferences through the multi-round counting process. Details on final vote shares after all redistributions remain pending.
