A new group has formed to repeal Alaska’s controversial ranked-choice voting scheme. The goal is to return back to the traditional election system with party primaries and no ranking of multiple candidates on the general ballot.
Ranked choice voting narrowly passed via initiative in 2020, with few people understanding how it even worked.
The new organization, “Alaskans for Honest Government,” aims to submit a bill to the lieutenant governor no later than Nov. 30. The state then has 60 days to review it.
If approved, the group can begin collecting the 40,000 signatures needed to place the initiative on the ballot. They hope to have the needed signatures collected by late April or early May of 2023.
The state must then verify the signatures before the bill can appear on the ballot for voters to decide in the November 2024 general election.
Many conservatives see ranked choice voting is as a scheme, specifically designed to benefit left of center candidates. It does away with party primaries and makes it much more difficult for conservative candidates to win in general election contests.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
The website of Alaskans for Honest Elections notes that the group’s goal is to “return Alaska’s Election System to a party primary system, political parties would select their candidates to appear on the general election ballot. “
The group is currently building a network for signatures and initiative sponsors.
To learn more, click here.
39 Comments
Well I’ll be the first to sign if they come to me. RCV stinks at its best. It’s the only way Lisa Murkowski know she could pull a Groper Joe Biden and stay in D.C. As a RINO without Republicans backing her she had no chance. Now with RCV she will win. Mark my word. I hope I’m wrong but if you can’t win on your own merit you don’t belong in the position. I day give Lusa a partisanship trophy and the boot. Weren’t need a two faced representative in D.C. talking on her only behalf. What she says is not what the majority of Alaskans say. We want an honest person in D.C. speaking on our behalf. I’ll sign. Where you at?
And they.. (the lefties).. say.. ‘ “Ahh.. your car is running just as it should.. Lets fix it for you””
Hi Neil, You may recall that Lisa has won before despite not being selected by the GOP. Alaskans do not like the extreme performative candidates that the GOP has been putting forth.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-elections-murkowski/senator-lisa-murkowski-wins-alaska-write-in-campaign-idUSTRE6AG51C20101118
I suspect in this case as well, against a poor candidate like Tshibaka, Lisa could have won even without RCV. In fact the vote tallies we’ve seen so far prove it.
How can anyone claim, after seeing evidence that Murkowski is the most preferred candidate of all voters, that it is okay for her to be knocked off of the ballot in a party primary, and thus prevented from being elected? The number one purpose of implementing this RCV top-four system was to prevent or avoid this very type of an election failure. The frequency and risk of this type of faulty election outcome makes it essential that not just Alaska, but all states abolish party primaries, at least the version of party primaries with sore loser laws used in almost all states.
RCV alleviates the vote-splitting problem, and avoiding vote-splitting is a crucial step toward abolishing the awful and dysfunctional party primaries. If voters want to abolish RCV, fine, but it’s quite anti-democratic to go back to using primaries and plurality voting. The least voters could do is convert to approval voting, range voting or STAR voting. The approval voting election could be held in October, then a top-two election held on November election day, with election results possibly reported late the same day.
MUST get rid of RCV BEFORE Nov. 2024
I agree.. Absolutely no reason to drag it on… I wonder if they want to “Rigged Choice Vote” it as well.
I agree Mary. On the proposed schedule for this bill, we will have to once again endure the RCV for the next Primary and the General Election and that’s unacceptable.
Does this mean we won’t have to use ranked-choice again? It sounds like the process is slow and if it has the required signatures to be voted on for 2024 then we need to wait to see if it makes during the election which means ranked-choice will still be in place. Is this correct? If so the goal was to not have to use it again in an election. It seems like the governor or legislature could speed this up before the 2024 election cycle. Ranked choice will still be used for the election. Correct me if I am wrong.
Ruth, as I understand it, RCV will continue to be a required process until it is repealed.. I agree, the Gov., and legislature could speed it up.. The required signatures will likely be collected soon, and the verifications shouldn’t drag on either.. Getter done “before” the next election cycle.
Lobo, I am understanding as you are. The rcv would still be used for the 2024 election, but it will be on the ballot for people to vote to get rid of it. Does not help us for 2024, but we have to start somewhere and hopefully we’ll be able to vote then and have it count.
Signature verification is where the hang-up will occur. Look who is running the Alaska Division of Elections. The ADoE is headed by the same bunch of lefties who have infiltrated all of our government entities and occupy positions from the lobby to the corner office. These are the same people who gave you a voter’s pamphlet that omitted the narrative for BM#1 to hold a ConCon, but made sure to include slogans like “Vote Boldly” and officiated a Youth Art Contest for the best “I Voted” sticker, and who refuse to purge the bloated Alaska Voter Rolls, in which we have over 601,000 registered voters, of which 36% were said to have voted for a total of 216,360 votes cast, reportedly. If the ADoE can’t verify the voter rolls, how can they be trusted to verify signatures.
yep, the higher ups won’t do anything about it, because it was “voted in”.
Remember those “higher ups” are the Dems, Goessel, Dunbar, several questionable new Reps, and Senators, i.e. RINO’s All indications are the legislature will not pass any repeal. Maybe some tweaking, but that is doubtful as well. Maybe and that is even a big maybe, if we are going full on with this repeal effort the legislature could then decide to repeal vs We the People doing so.
The minute it works in your favor, you’ll be all for it. And you know it.
Guaranteed. There are three planks to the Republican platform: hypocrisy, dishonesty and hypocrisy.
typo? You mean the Democratic Party – who Ned something as convoluted, deceptive and confusing as ranked choice voting to win. Good grief. Classic gaslighting and psychological projection.
Must be a Dem
Yes, the AK Republicans thought that RCV was wonderful when they proposed and voted for it. Now it has blown up in their faces. Because Sarah Palin was so repugnant to most of America and much of Alaska the vote came out for Murkowski. I’m proud of the new Alaska Delegation: Murkowski, Peltola and Sullivan.
“The minute it works in your favor, you’ll be all for it………”
Nah. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy. You can be a dog if you’d like, you can marry a tree stump if you fall in love with it, and you can elect a communist. It’s all about you, Whidbey.
Does that make you happy?
Ranked choice is a perfect scheme.
Needs to go entirely. I’ll sign, first chance I get.
I will sign, and solicit signatures. What a convoluted confusing mess.
Honestly, what’s so confusing? Seems pretty straightforward to me. It forces a winning candidate to have a majority mandate, and eliminates the need for expensive runoffs. So what’s not to like? Oh yes, your candidate didn’t win so you blame the corrupt or unfair system in typical GOP fashion. In case you haven’t heard, that went out of style last week.
Honestly, Whidbey, go lay down by your dish.
Hi Elizabeth, I am interested to understand more from you about how it is confusing. Nobody I know is confused by it. It’s literally as easy as 1-2-3.
Personally, I’d prefer caucuses over primaries, but I’ll get behind anything that repeals RCV.
This is beautiful and very necessary. Every freedom loving, Constitution defending Alaskan must get involved in this initiative. Signing up today!
Remember this is just the first part of the process. Once the needed number of signatures are received, 100, and I bet will be much more, then the Lt Governor has 60 days to review then give the nod for the petition drive as per law. So, don’t think than signing now, you won’t be asked again.
This group says they will give to Lt Gov Meyer by 30 Nov. He will only have a day or a few days, then it goes to the new Lt Governor. Not sure how that will work.
Yes, we must get rid of this RCV, but remember we have laws as to how we do so and this is going to be a marathon not a short sprint and over. The same crowd that killed the State Constitutional Convention will be back. Folks, start budgeting to give tons of money to fight George Soros. Be prepared to step out of you comfort zone and stand up for this repeal in you communities! Remember, George, NEA, IBEW all the socialist crowd spent 5 MILLION ageist Ballot measure 1, we only spent, last I heard $50,000, maybe as high as $100,000. Besides the money, we must have outstanding spokespersons across the State! IMHO that was the other reason we lost Ballot 1! Note the use of plural in spokespersons. That means bush, Interior, rural on and off road, Matsu Valley, Anchorage, Kenai, Kodiak, Southeast. All have to be on the same sheet of music and able to speak well to media. As to media, we must overwhelm this so much that what we all call Fake News Media, has to report on this. We have to get them to report our side as much as the socialists side that will oppose! We have to get ads that are professional and hard hitting in a positive manner not negative ads. That costs money, again, dig deep now and for the next 2 years. . Lastly as to media. We get hammered on social media and some of that is our own being hard core negative and not stating FACTS of the law. Yes, Twitter, Facebook, and others are important but if we are giving bad information and getting into pissing contests with our own, that is what the socialist’s love to see! We will have to dispel out right lies. We do not want to have to do so from our own!
This is going to be a full on fight! Now is the time to get up to speed on the facts, budgeting for spending your valuable dollars and spending the time needed to be vocal, to be out getting signatures in the cold and heat! Most importantly stand with you legislators whom are fighting with us. For those on the edge use logic, reason and facts to get them on our side. For the socialists and RINO’s whom will oppose being logical, firm, factual and unwavering, although most likely not getting them to changer their minds, gives us the facts to vote them out in 2024!
Mike, thank you for getting involved in the local politics and helping our People to understand what is going on! God bless you and keep you safe brother.
get rid of mail in voting , get rid of Dominion computers.
And get rid of outside money!
Hi Fallen Republic,
By eliminating mail-in voting you are disenfranchising our service members. You are disenfranchising the elderly and infirm. You are disenfranchising those who are working a 12-hour shift on election day. You are disenfranchising those who are visiting family on election day.
Eliminating mail-in voting is un-American and un-patriotic.
Donate… donate… donate. https://www.alaskansforhonestelections.com/
Otherwise RCV will prevail.
This process will not stop the same thing from happening in 2024, anyway to speed it up. Being that the way RCV votes. Some voters will have their votes count more than other voters, Can we have the state bring a suit against this as being Unconstitutional.
So here is how RCV works. Take 3 Candidates. Voters all get one vote for their candidate of choice, A, B or C. When the counting is tabulated C is way behind and ruled out. Those who voted for C get to vote a second time if they put a second choice on their ballot. The people who voted for C then have their vote counted a 2nd time, and their votes are then added to the counts for candidate A or B, or someone else. Point is the people who voted for the person who had the least amount of votes, get to vote twice, while those who voted for A or B only have their vote counted once. This is what Rank Choice is. So if still no winner after C is ruled out. Then B is Ruled out and those who ranked multiple votes for B then have their votes recounted. So in RCV voting, those voting for the losers get to vote multiple times in the same election
Elizabeth Henry. My point about Republican hypocrisy was not directed at the merits of RCV. I was supporting what Whidbey Thedog wrote.
Ranked Choice Voting is just voting. It allows for the candidate with the most support to win. It reduces the power of the political parties and places more control in the voting electorate. Democracy. You must demonstrate candidates and policy instead of grifters moving in state to capitalize on a polarized electorate to make bank and support the uber wealthy like Senator Dan and Kelly.
Keep your eyes on. CCP company KONNECH…. This is another data stealing direct to china voting scheme. Just another version of how Lt GOV Kevin Meyer allowed. all Alaskan voters info and identity to be hacked… Yes we will never forget your purchase of CCP DOMINION KEV… Gov Gretchen Whitmer it has been found gave a CCP spy $300,000. taxpayer dollars related to KONNECH,,, Its getting intense… the communist within our Govt and those who took dirty. money are freaking as they are being shed light upon.
Has anyone heard of the FTX scandal somehow having involvment with the Alaska PFD?
Wouldn’t that be great if our PFD was going through the laundry and coming back through the laundry to fight us by assisting in funding for Murkowski (and maybe Pelota and Sullivan???).
That FTX scandal just keeps growing and growing!
Hi Friend of Humanity, Can you provide some evidence of this remarkable allegation? Are you familiar with the FTX scandal? I’m in the technology field, and intimately familiar with crypto, having implemented blockchains for academic purposes, and having followed crypto in depth for the last 12 years (note: I have no investment in any crypto, neither crypto-currency, NFT, nor exchanges) and I would be eager to see any evidence of what you are suggesting.
As it is, it sounds an awful lot like you’re spouting a conspiracy theory you saw on Facebook, posted by someone’s uncle’s brother’s friend who heard that the Democrats were putting crypto currency in a washing machine at one of their satanic baby-eating rituals.
Are you a follower of Q?
Please contact me as soon as this is ready for signatures! I’ll sign immediately. I’ve never seen anything like this cluster fark.