Around New England

Maine’s Republican Congressman Sues To Stop Ranked-Choice Vote Counting

Matthew McDonald

U.S. Representative Bruce Poliquin, New England's lone Republican member of Congress, is asking a federal court to stop the Maine Secretary of State from continuing a count of second and third choices of the third-place and fourth-place finishers in the race, saying ranked-choice voting violates the federal constitution.

Poliquin, a Republican, won a plurality of votes on election day last week, but fell short of a majority. Under Maine's ranked-choice system of voting approved in 2016, that means he'll probably lose the election, which according to state law is supposed to be decided by the second choice of voters for the fourth-place candidate and the second and possibly third choice of voters for the third-place candidate.

Around New England

Where Did the Money Go? Sudden Closing of Swampscott College Leaves Many Questions

Matthew McDonald

The closing of Marian Court College in Swampscott in June 2015 came six weeks after a gala attended by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and his wife Lauren raised $200,000 for scholarships — money whose whereabouts is now unknown.

So is the $2,000 deposit a bride-to-be's father paid to secure the college's main building for a wedding reception that later had to be moved when the college closed, according to the Gloucester Times, which published an investigative story Monday.

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