2024 Alaska Ballot Measure 2
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An Act Restoring Political Party Primaries and Single-Choice General Elections | ||||||||||
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Alaska Ballot Measure 2 was a ballot initiative that was voted on in the November 5, 2024 general election. If enacted, it will repeal Alaska's electoral system of ranked-choice voting and nonpartisan blanket primaries, which was enacted by Alaska Measure 2 from 2020.
The initiative would return Alaska to partisan primaries and plurality voting.[1]
Background
[edit]The 2020 measure established ranked-choice voting and nonpartisan top-four primaries for all Alaskan state and federal elections except presidential primaries. It passed with a narrow margin of 1%, with supporters of the measure outspending opponents by more than 10 to 1.[2]
In the 2022 Alaska's at-large congressional district special election, Democrat Mary Peltola won in part due to vote splitting between the two Republicans who had advanced to the general election, Nick Begich III and Sarah Palin.[3][4] This, along with the nonpartisan primary preventing a primary challenge to centrist Republican senator Lisa Murkowski in 2022, led to Republicans increasingly opposing the new system.[5]
Supporters of the initiative have said that Alaska's voting system should be repealed due to being confusing and vulnerable to manipulation, while opponents have said that the system should remain in place due to being more inclusive and giving voters more choices.[1][5]
Opponents of the measure outspent supporters 100 to 1.[6]
Endorsements
[edit]- State senators
- Mike Shower, state senator from district O (2018–present)[7]
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Survey Research[b] | January 12–18, 2023 | 1,397 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 53% | 47% |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Ballot Measure 2: Will Alaskans repeal ranked-choice voting & open primaries?". Alaska’s News Source. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ Brooks, James (November 18, 2020). "Alaska becomes second state to approve ranked-choice voting as Ballot Measure 2 passes by 1%". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
Ballot Measure 2 supporters spent nearly $7 million and campaigned for a year and a half ahead of the election. Opponents raised less than 10% of that total and started formal opposition in fall 2020.
- ^ Samuels, Iris (October 11, 2022). "Republican U.S. House candidates in Alaska continue to attack each other while urging voters to 'rank the red'". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
Begich and Palin … split the Republican share of the vote in an August special election, allowing Peltola to come away with the victory
- ^ "Palin urges Begich to drop House bid; Begich declines". AP. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ a b Nichanian, Daniel; Sabino, Pascal (2024-09-11). "Native Leaders Organize to Defend Alaska's Ranked Choice Voting System". Bolts. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
- ^ Grove, Casey; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media - (2024-11-06). "Effort to repeal Alaska's ranked choice voting still holds narrow lead". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
- ^ Shower, Mike (6 September 2024). "Sen. Shower: Vote 'Yes on 2' to repeal RCV's voter suppression in Alaska". Alaska Watchman. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ Anchorage Daily News editorial board (October 19, 2024). "EDITORIAL: Should political parties or voters decide who represents Alaska?". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
- ^ "Native Leaders Organize to Defend Alaska's Ranked Choice Voting System". Bolts. Retrieved 23 September 2024.