With Trump their only choice, more Maine Republicans than usual left ballots blank

https://www.pressherald.com/2020/03/07/with-trump-the-only-choice-more-maine-republicans-than-usual-opt-to-leave-ballots-blank/

AUGUSTA — Roughly one in five Republican voters in Maine’s largest towns left President Trump’s oval blank or wrote in another name during Tuesday’s presidential primary, an analysis of voting results shows.

Unlike Democratic voters in Maine, who could choose among 12 candidates listed on the ballot, Maine Republicans had only one official option for their party’s nominee during the Super Tuesday primary: Donald Trump.

But a review of election results from more than 25 of Maine’s largest towns and cities shows that 21 percent of Republican presidential primary ballots were recorded as blank. The higher-than-usual number of blank ballots – at least when compared with uncontested congressional or gubernatorial primaries in Maine – potentially raises questions about enthusiasm for Trump even within his own party in Maine.

“Twenty-five percent is a high number, yes,” said Fran Smith, town clerk in Brunswick, where 24.3 percent of Republican presidential ballots were recorded as blank. “I can’t say why people (left) it blank … and it’s not unusual when you have only one candidate to have a slightly higher percentage of people who leave it blank. But that struck me as a high number.”

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