The only real losers in the fight over whether consumer advocate Ralph Nader should appear as a presidential candidate on the ballot in Maine and other states are the voters. Democrats charge that Republicans are financing and sometimes staffing signature gathering efforts for the Nader campaign. Republicans complain that Democrats are wrongly contesting signatures to block Mr. Nader’s access to the ballot.

With a presidential race that is expected to be close, both parties have something to fear in Mr. Nader. However, his appeal to voters is likely to be minimal. In the meantime, voters are left to wonder if the electoral process works.

Mr. Nader’s campaign submitted more than 5,700 signatures earlier this month, well over the 4,000 valid signatures required by Maine. The Secretary of State’s Office has reviewed the signatures and declared that 4,128 of them are valid. The Maine Democratic Party and Stopnader.com have contested some of the signatures as well as the methods used by Mr. Nader’s supporters. A key criticism is that well-known members of the Republican Party were involved in the signature gathering effort.

Ben Tucker, a Brunswick Democrat who filed the complaint with the Secretary of State’s Office, said he would not object to an effort to get Mr. Nader on the ballot if it were the work of true supporters of the man many blame for former Vice President Al Gore’s loss to President Bush in 2000.

In Florida, Mr. Nader received 97,000 votes, far more than the 537 votes by which Mr. Bush won the state. In Maine in 2000, Mr. Nader received 6 percent of the vote.

The Nader campaign has submitted ballot access petitions in 25 states. The campaign has met ballot access requirements in six states. Lawsuits, both to get access to the ballot and to keep Mr. Nader off the ballot, are pending in several states.

The problem with these battles is that they leave the voter wondering if the system works. Some who want Mr. Nader and other third-party candidates to appear on ballots see the controversy as an attempt so quash such efforts. Those who believe that the Republicans are working to get Mr. Nader on the ballot to weaken support for Democrat John Kerry see the electoral process being manipulated in the name of increased voter choice.

The real danger is that the current controversy will diminish the chances of other third party candidates appearing on ballots in future elections. There is a better way.

Instant-run-off voting provides a majority vote to the eventual winner and allows third parties to join in the race without being seen as spoilers. This voting method lets voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate wins a majority vote, the one with the lowest first-choice total is eliminated, and the vote is recounted immediately.

The use of computer technology makes this kind of voting much more possible. The Maine Legislature last spring passed a bill to study the issue, with a report due in January.

Instant run-off voting would build confidence in the election process, force candidates to run more positive campaigns and give people more reasons to vote.

Sure beats the dueling charges now being heard in Augusta.