There is an easy, inexpensive way to deal with the problem of candidates who win by pluralities as low as 30 percent in elections with numerous candidates (see June 26 op-ed by Nathan Gehlert). It is called Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) and it has been adopted in a number of jurisdictions around the United States.

IRV allows voters to identify their first, second, third, etc. choices on the ballot. If no candidate receives a majority, the last place finisher is eliminated. Ballots cast for that candidate are then counted for that voter’s next choice. If no majority is reached, the process goes on until someone has a clear majority. The process assures that the winning candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, prevents “spoilers” from distorting the outcome, increases voter interest and participation and allows decisions to be reached without delay and without the administrative and campaign costs of a runoff election. See www. fairvote.org.

It is regrettable that IRV is not in effect in Maine this fall. It could have helped ensure that Maine’s next governor would have majority support and that we as voters would have voted for the candidate we liked, without helping to elect the candidate we didn’t support. Maine’s political parties and the state legislature should approve IRV in 2003.

Edward F. Snyder

Bar Harbor