Why Maine Senate race might not be decided on election night

Key Points:

• Maine's U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson may go to ranked choice voting due to tight polling and six write-in candidates, making an immediate decision on election night unlikely.
• Ranked choice voting in Maine requires a candidate to secure over 50% of first-choice votes; if no one does, the last-place candidate is eliminated and votes are redistributed until a majority is reached.
• Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows indicated that if a ranked choice runoff occurs, it could take several days, potentially until Nov. 13, to finalize results, though efforts are underway to speed up the process.
• While no Maine U.S. Senate race has previously gone to ranked choice voting, three of the last four elections in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District have required it, with the most recent runoff in 2024 taking four days to complete and a month for official certification.
• The outcome of this race is critical for Senate control, as Democrats aim to flip the seat currently held by Collins, the lone Senate Republican from a state that voted for the Democratic presidential candidate.