People cast their ballots at the Besse Building in Albion, Maine on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. (Photo by Michael G. Seamans/ Maine Morning Star)
The Maine Department of the Secretary of State will host its ranked-choice run-off for the 2nd Congressional District race Tuesday afternoon.
The tabulation will start at 1 p.m. at the Maine State Police headquarters in Augusta. It will also be livestreamed on the Secretary of State’s YouTube page. The tabulation will help determine whether Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden will serve a fourth term or if he will be unseated by Republican challenger state Rep. Austin Theriault.
Even though the congressman already gave a victory speech, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said the tabulation is necessary because neither named candidate earned more than 50% of the vote and second-choice votes could change the current standing, which has Golden ahead by fewer than 2,200 votes.
More than 12,000 voters either selected unofficial write-in candidate Diana Merenda as their first choice or left it blank. The tabulation will look at the second choice on those ballots and assign them to Golden or Theriault to determine a winner.
Live results from the tabulation can be viewed below, courtesy of Decision Desk HQ.
The story will be updated.