Section 250-535-3 - Ballot Design1.Authority of Secretary of State. The Secretary of State has the sole authority to determine the design of ballots containing ranked-choice voting contests, including whether to place ranked-choice contests and non-ranked-choice contests on the same or separate ballot pages. This determination will be made after the candidate filing deadline has passed, when the number of contests subject to ranked-choice voting and the number of candidates who have qualified for those contests is known. Ranked-choice contests will be grouped together and presented either on a separate ballot page from the non-ranked-choice contests, or on one side of a combined ranked-choice and non-ranked-choice ballot page. Ballot heading information and specific instructions will be presented above or next to the first contest of each type (i.e., ranked-choice contest, non-ranked-choice contest or referendum contest). Each ballot page or grouping of contests will adhere to the ballot order and layout requirements, as near as practicable, of 21-A M.R.S.A. §601, §604-A, §723-A. The final design will be based on the space and design limitations of the ballot design software, while following the best practices for ballot design to the greatest extent possible.2.Ranked-choice layout. The ballot will be designed in a manner that allows voters to rank as many candidates as they wish, up to and including all listed candidates and one declared write-in candidate, in order of choice. If there is no declared write-in candidate who has qualified in accordance with 21-A M.R.S.A. §722-A for a ranked-choice voting contest, then the Secretary of State may eliminate the write-in space for the contest so that the voter will have the ability to rank only the candidates listed on the ballot.29- 250 C.M.R. ch. 535, § 3