Date set for GOP's ranked choice voting arguments in Maine

Lawyers for the state and for the Maine Republican Party will argue later this month on whether the GOP will have to use ranked choice voting in the June primary.

The state Supreme Court already allowed the system to move forward but the new lawsuit is in federal court. Arguments are scheduled for May 23.

The lawsuit against Democratic Secretary of State Matt Dunlap seeks an injunction to prevent the use of ranked choice voting to decide Republican winners on June 12.

The GOP wants the winner to simply have the most votes, and the lawsuit seeks to halt vote tabulation after the first round. Under the new system, voters rank candidates from first to last, and there can be multiple rounds until there's a majority winner.