AUGUSTA — Six people filed as official write-in candidates for the Nov. 5 U.S. Senate election, the Maine Secretary of State’s office announced Tuesday, ensuring that if no candidate receives a majority of votes on election night the contest will be resolved through ranked-choice counting.
Who filed and what it means
The Secretary of State released the names of the six write-in candidates: Brent Andrews of York (unaffiliated); Sigrid Ann Olson of Cape Elizabeth (Democrat); Gina Oswald of Strong (independent); Joseph Steinberger of Rockland (Faith in Humanity); Michael Turcotte of Burnham (unenrolled); and Ashley Webb of Farmington (Democratic).
The presence of multiple declared write-ins activates ranked-choice rules for federal contests in Maine. That means if neither incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins nor former Democratic state Senate President Troy Jackson receives more than 50% of the votes on election night, ballots will be re-tabulated under the ranked-choice method to determine the winner.
| Write-in candidate | Residence | Enrollment/Label |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Andrews | York | Unaffiliated |
| Sigrid Ann Olson | Cape Elizabeth | Democrat |
| Gina Oswald | Strong | Independent |
| Joseph Steinberger | Rockland | Faith in Humanity |
| Michael Turcotte | Burnham | Unenrolled |
| Ashley Webb | Farmington | Democratic |
Implications for voters and the timeline
The write-in filings matter because federal law in Maine permits voters to rank candidates — including an officially declared write-in — on their ballots. If a first-choice tallied candidate does not reach the majority threshold, ballots are redistributed according to voters’ ranked preferences until a candidate surpasses 50%.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows emphasized that only votes for declared write-in candidates are counted. As she explained:
"Someone who is not a declared write in, their votes are never counted," she said.
That distinction proved significant this year because Graham Platner, who won the Democratic primary in June with roughly 72% of the vote but later suspended his campaign amid allegations he has denied, did not register as a write-in. According to the Secretary of State’s guidance, any votes cast for him as a write-in will be treated as blank first choices. If a voter marked a second choice such as Collins or Jackson, that subsequent preference would then be used in the ranked-count process.
Election administrators have warned that a ranked-choice count can extend the time needed to produce final results. The Secretary of State’s office conducted a ranked-choice tally in June for gubernatorial primaries, which took more than a week to complete. Officials say a similar process for a statewide federal race could delay certification by several days, depending on the margin and the number of rounds required.
Political stakes and context
National and state Democratic strategists view Maine as a possible pickup opportunity in their bid to gain control of the U.S. Senate. Republicans have consolidated support behind Collins, who is running for another six-year term. Recent polls have shown a close contest, making the procedural impacts of write-in candidates and ranked-choice potentially decisive.
- Declared write-in candidates will appear in ranked-choice tabulation if no candidate wins a majority.
- Votes for non-declared write-ins are treated as blanks for first-choice counts but may still count if the ballot includes a ranked second choice.
- Ranked-choice counts for statewide races can take several days to complete and certify.
With the November election approaching, Secretary Bellows’ office and county clerks across Maine will be preparing for both the immediate night-of count and, if required, the subsequent ranked redistributions. Voters should be mindful when marking ballots that only declared write-ins will be included in tally rounds, and that ranking additional preferences can preserve the effectiveness of a ballot if a first choice is ineligible or not formally recognized.
The development adds another procedural layer to a high-profile race that will determine who represents Maine in the U.S. Senate for the next six years and could contribute to the broader balance of power in Washington.
