Maine used to hold a reputation as a bellwether state, partly because it once held its general elections months earlier than the rest of the country, and because national results often reflected those early outcomes reached by Maine voters.
The phrase “As goes Maine, so goes the nation” lost its usefulness many decades ago, and state politics and voting trends have changed so drastically that much of what happens in the Pine Tree State today plainly should not be imitated. When it comes to election policy in particular, I urge other states to consider Maine the standard of what not to do. Look no further than its recent adoption of the National Popular Vote (NPV) compact.
Click here to read the full op-ed by Director of Legislative Affairs, Jacob Posik, in Real Clear Politics.