The Alaska Supreme Court has decided to permit a measure aiming to repeal the state’s ranked-choice voting system to stay on the November ballot. This ruling is the latest development in a legal dispute surrounding Alaska’s electoral procedures.
The Alaska Supreme Court’s concise 2-page order means that the initiative to repeal the ranked-choice voting system in Alaska will be presented to voters in November. A detailed explanation of the court’s decision is expected to be released at a later date.
In her crucial June 7 ruling, Judge Rankin sided with state election officials, determining that they had not breached the law by allowing petition sponsors to rectify errors in their petitions.
“The Division acted within its authority in allowing the Sponsors to make corrections to the certification affidavits on individual booklets after they were filed, but before the Division completed counting signatures,” wrote Judge Rankin in her opinion. “Additionally, the Division complied with all mandatory deadlines in placing the 22AKHE initiative on the November 2024 general ballot.”
She also noted, “There is no evidence in this case that there was a pervasive pattern of intentional, knowing, and orchestrated misconduct to warrant invalidating the 22AKHE initiative petition.”
Scott Kendall, the attorney representing the voters who sought to disqualify the measure from the ballot, did not provide a comment on the ruling.
Ranked-choice voting was introduced in Alaska following a 2020 ballot measure that also established an open primary system. In this system, all candidates compete in a single primary irrespective of party affiliation. The top four candidates advance to the general election, where voters rank the candidates by preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes in the general election, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on the voters’ subsequent choices. This process continues until a candidate secures a majority.
Supporters of ranked-choice voting argue that it diminishes political polarization and provides centrist candidates with a better opportunity to win. Critics argue that it is complex and burdensome for voters, potentially resulting in errors or invalidated ballots.
While proponents of ranked-choice voting believe it ensures elected officials receive broader support from the electorate, opponents argue that it unfairly disadvantages candidates with a strong but narrow base of support and compels voters to rank candidates they may not fully endorse.
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