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D. Me.
Maine Republican Party v. Dunlap (Jon D. Levy, 1:18-cv-179) and Baber v. Dunlap (Lance E. Walker, 1:18-cv-465) (D. Me.)
For federal elections, Maine used ranked-choice voting in 2018, a voting method that provides instant runoff votes if no candidate gets a majority of first-choice votes. In May, a political party sought a federal injunction against the use of ranked-choice voting in its primary election. A federal district judge denied the party relief. In November, neither major-party candidate earned a majority of first-place votes in a congressional election. The plurality winner’s efforts at a federal injunction against counting second and third choices of voters who ranked independent candidates first were unsuccessful.
Subject: Voting procedures. Topics: Instant runoff; enjoining certification; party procedures; primary election; intervention.
One of many Case Studies in Emergency Election Litigation.
The Goldfarb Center and the Maine Federal–State Judicial Council collaborated to produce the video Conversations with Maine Judges to help Maine teachers introduce their students to how courts and judges work. The video draws on interviews mostly of recently retired federal judges and justices of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The accompanying study guide was produced by Freeport High School social studies teacher Hank Ogilby. Both of these can viewed or downloaded by following links below.
The Federal Judicial Center did not contribute to this video or document. They are presented as examples of work from a state–federal judicial council.
This video and document are part of Federal and State Court Cooperation, a Special Topic Webpage.
National Organization for Marriage v. McKee (D. Brock Hornby and John H. Rich III, D. Me. 1:09-cv-538)
Advocacy organizations filed a federal challenge to campaign finance reporting regulations two weeks before an election including a ballot initiative. Able to rule before the election, the court denied the plaintiffs injunctive relief. After the election, the court of appeals affirmed the legal holding.
Subject Campaign activities. Topics: Campaign finance; ballot measure.
One of many Case Studies in Emergency Election Litigation.
NaPier v. Baldacci (D. Brock Hornby, D. Me. 2:06-cv-151)
A minor gubernatorial candidate filed a pro se complaint two months before the 2006 general election because the state was not acceding to his orthographic preferences for his name, including the printing of “Phillip” with the letters “i” represented as just dots with eyebrows and the double “l” represented with a smile under it. The federal court determined that the case was a matter for the state court.
Topics: Pro se party; matters for state courts.
One of many Case Studies in Emergency Election Litigation.
Maine Democratic Party v. City of Portland (Kermit V. Lipez, D. Me. 2:00-cv-360)
A large number of voters went to the polls in Portland, Maine, for the 2000 general election to discover that their voter registrations had been canceled. Poll workers referred them to city hall, where lines grew very long. On the afternoon of the election, the Democratic Party sought a temporary restraining order to keep the polls open an extra two hours. All district judges were out of town, so a local circuit judge heard the motion. The judge declined to keep the polls open late but ordered the polls to let voters correct registration errors at the polls and ordered that all voters in line by the time the polls closed be able to vote.
Topics: Registration challenges; National Voter Registration Act; polling hours.
One of many Case Studies in Emergency Election Litigation.
Doe v. Attorney General (George Z. Singal, D. Me. 1:00-cv-206)
One month before the 2000 general election, three women under psychiatric guardianships filed a federal complaint challenging Maine’s exclusion of persons under such guardianships from the right to vote. Approximately three weeks later, the court denied injunctive relief. On a more complete record the following year, the court invalidated the franchise exclusion.
Topic: Equal protection.
One of many Case Studies in Emergency Election Litigation.
Cover letter to the transmittal of the district's annual report of the advisory group to Philip R. Argetsinger of the Administrative Office and Donna Stienstra of the Federal Judicial Center.
Results, responses, and commentary from the survey on the effects of the Civil Justice Reform Act conducted by the advisory group of the District of Maine.
Updated statistics for 44 districts with information for SY 1994
The Cost and Delay Reduction Plan adopted by the District of Maine and made effective 8/1/1993
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