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Alaska’s November ballot will determine fate of ranked-choice voting in the state

Woman's hand depositing a ballot into a ballot box.
Woman's hand depositing a ballot into a ballot box.

Alaska voters will decide the future of the state’s ranked-choice voting system in this November’s election.

Alaska Ballot Measure 2, known as the Repeal Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative, seeks to repeal the rank choice general elections voting system and open party primaries that voters approved back in 2020.

Under this current system, all candidates participate in a single primary election, regardless of party affiliation. Voters can cast a vote for one candidate in each race and the four candidates with the most votes in each race move on to the general election.

Under the rank-choice general election system, voters rank candidates from their first to last choice. A candidate must secure a simple majority- more than 50 percent of the votes- to win the election. If no candidate receives the majority, the candidate with the fewest first place votes is eliminated, and those ballots are reallocated to voters’ next choice.

Ballot Measure 2 proposes to repeal that system and return Alaska to a party-specific primary format, where each party controls its primary election ballot and voters need to be registered with a party to participate. In the general election, rather than ranking candidates, voters would cast a vote for one.

The phrasing of Ballot Measure 2 can be confusing due to its double negative.

Voting yes on the bill means supporting the repeal of the ranked-choice voting, effectively opting to eliminate the system. Conversely, voting no indicates support for maintaining ranked-choice voting and opposing its removal.

Read more about Ballot Measure 2 at the state of Alaska’s Division of Elections.

Margaret Sutherland is a local reporter and host at KDLG, Dillingham's NPR member station. Margaret graduated from College of Charleston with a degree in English, and went on to attend the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Radio and Podcasting. She is passionate about the power of storytelling and creating rich soundscapes for the listener's ears to enjoy.