I wore our nation’s uniform for 24 years. I voted in many elections, while active duty and since retiring. Most were as an Alaskan resident, moving here in 1993. Not one time, as a registered voter, was I denied my constitutional right to vote. Service members could always vote in primaries regardless of party affiliation before ranked choice voting (RCV) and jungle primaries were installed in Alaska in 2020. They can vote now with RCV, and if Alaskans vote to repeal RCV in November, service members will be able to vote in primaries as they did before.
The stakes are high with Ballot Measure 2, a citizen led initiative which aims to end the ranked choice voting scheme. However, don’t think for a second that those who wish to “save” RCV in Alaska care about Alaska. How can I make such a bold statement?
The pro-RCV crowd has one mission, to spend millions of dollars of dark money flowing into Alaska from lower 48 billionaires and left-wing groups, in the hope of saving RCV from being repealed. Why?
Simple. Alaska is being used as the guinea pig to spread RCV to the rest of the nation. Our own congresswoman is spending time in other states pushing RCV. They are saying we love RCV, and it works great. Those two statements don’t hold up to scrutiny, even beyond the fear mongering lie about service members being unable to vote. Polling data has been consistent. RCV is not well liked by Alaskans and a sizable majority wish to see it gone.
The dark money pro-RCV alliance has falsely claimed that repealing RCV would prohibit the military from voting unless they registered with a political party.
Here’s the kicker – if Alaska repeals ranked voting in November, it will put the brakes on the pro RCV national campaign because the logical question across the lower 48 will be – if it’s so great – why did Alaskans repeal it after only 4 years?
Indeed.
Can you see it now? It seems “no low is too low” for those trying to save ranked voting – even going so far as to blatantly lie to our military men and women trying to “scare” them into voting No on 2. I find this despicable.
The dark money pro-RCV alliance has falsely claimed that repealing RCV would prohibit the military from voting unless they registered with a political party.
False! Not being affiliated with a political party does not stop anyone from voting in elections, including our military. It is deceptive at best, and election interference at worst, to actively undermine the democratic process by spreading disinformation to voters.
The pro RCV crowd is skating on thin ice. Will news, social media and others do the right thing and correct the false narrative? If not, perhaps Alaskan’s need to demand legal action. The dark money they claimed they would eliminate when they urged us to vote for RCV four years ago is now being used to persuade us to keep it.
When you enjoy a great meal at a restaurant, do they keep spending money trying to convince you it was great? Of course not, you simply know. Alaskans know we got burned by the dark money lie and the ‘virtues’ of RCV the first time. Alaskans aren’t buying it this second time around.
Proponents of RCV understand repealing it in Alaska would undermine their national campaign, and their desperation to save it is evident. This explains why they have over $7 MILLION from outside dark money being spent while Alaskans opposing RCV have only a few tens of thousands – almost all from Alaskans.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
Talk about a David and Goliath battle! It’s time we told the lower 48 to butt out of our internal politics and leave us to be the fiercely independent political state we are.
Repealing RCV will stop the disenfranchisement of senior citizens, minorities, English language learners, and individuals with less than a high school education. Studies have shown ranked voting directly contributes to voter suppression among these groups. RCV is so troublesome in fact, the Alaska Democrat party recently filed a lawsuit over a Democrat candidate on the congressional ballot. They said RCV could “cause confusion and take votes from their ‘preferred’ candidate.” I agree RCV is a mess.
We can do better than this – and we must!
I have had the honor of serving Alaskans as a state senator for seven years and have been at the forefront of election issues. It’s clear to me as a veteran and elected official the time has come to end ranked choice voting.
Send the message. Vote YES on 2 in November. YES on 2 will repeal ranked choice voting and put us back to a simple, easy to understand system of one person – one vote.
The views expressed here are those of the author.
15 Comments
They are spending tons of money on ads. It is sickening to see the lies. They are out right lying. Do people see it? the YouTube ads do not stop. I finally blocked them. It shows their true colors and they step down to this level. I truly hope that the majority of people can see the out right lies to try and keep it. They are using cultural style ads. A mechanic with a mullet saying how “His vote finally counts.” I do not know any mechanic who would be on board with this, and I own just such a shop. Then for them to say “Dark outside money is trying to repeal election integrity.” That is EXACTLY where THEIR money is coming from. Folks, wake up to this. Spread the word in every conversation possible. Be stronger than their money.
Thank you, Senator, There has been an attempt to pass a bill through the House to make all states comply with ranked choice voting. People who hear and see those ads need to look at the bottom to see where the funding of the ads is coming from, that is beyond Anchorage. We saw the ad coming from Texas, Colorado and D.C. The ads claim to be “for Alaskans.” which is another lie. We need to read “between the lines.” and do not be fooled by emotions in the ad. Some who try to promote ranked file in the other states claim that Alaskans like it as a reason for the other states to vote it in and try it. The ads we have seen are very confusing as they were when it was a ballot measure to begin with. Friends did not know which way was avoiding the use of dark money. Here we go again….Ranked file voting has put legislators in office that would not have been elected. without it. Some of those legislators that would not have been elected are now pushing legislation to allow boys in girls’ sports based on how the boys “feel.” A person’s feelings is not a good measuring stick. That is one of many examples of why ranked-choice voting should be removed from Alaska’s voting process. Thank you Senator Shower for your insights and help during this past difficult sessions..
Notice how none of their ads refer to Proposition 2 as Rank Choice Voting. The left that are push a NO vote are deceiving the uninformed voter, just like Lisa Murkowski does when it comes to her support for PBS & NPR. All my fellow conservative understand fully how the Deep Dark Money is on the left side of the political spectrum. I would love to have a reporter ask Lisa Murkowski about her support either way, and watch her squirm.
If republicans hadn’t sporked the last RCV, they’d be all for it. Blame without evidence seems to win over the flock
AK is not required to use RCV as a means to abolish sore loser laws and effectively the party primaries. RCV and party primaries should be separate issues. If you abolish use of RCV, fine, but don’t pull those hideous primaries out of the trash can, dust them off, and attempt to use them again.
Please consider that the damage to election integrity caused by primaries bound together with hideous sore loser laws and prohibitive ballot access barriers is far worse than the harm that RCV could ever do. Another rare spoiler failure for RCV like the Peltola win in August 2022 is not likely to occur again for a long time, for any election in AK.
I don’t belong to a political party. Served my last seven years of a 22 year military career in Alaska. I have never been turned away at the polls. Ever.
Actually, ranked-choice voting (RCV) offers several benefits compared to traditional voting systems, especially in elections where multiple candidates compete. For example, in RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference. This minimizes the risk that voting for a third-party or less popular candidate will “spoil” the election for a more preferred candidate. Votes are redistributed if no candidate wins a majority initially. RCV also ensures that the winner has broader support from the electorate, as the votes are reallocated until a candidate achieves a majority (50%+). This prevents a candidate from winning with just a small plurality. Candidates in RCV elections are also incentivized to appeal to a broader audience, including supporters of their opponents, as they may need second or third-choice votes to win. This can lead to more civil and less divisive campaigns. These benefits collectively contribute to a more inclusive, efficient, and representative electoral process.
ONE VOTE in person with ID.
It’s wrong you’re a losers in third place and you win, what wrong with this picture
Vote out RCV yes on#2
Proud Alaskan keyboard
Great commentary illuminating light on the dark money! My challenge to you Mr shower and the rest of the legislative body is to begin to expose the recipients of that same dark money! We have RCV because Mike porcaro sold his soul to the murkowski dark money group! The problem this state faces is one of principal! Expedience has for too long become an acceptable way of getting what we want ( which is what porcaro did for money) while sacrifices like RCV are deceptively put in place. Porcaros conscious got the best of him which after he was paid, he began to squak ” rank the red ” to appease his guilty conscious! These ” conservatives ” need more of you who are given influential power to call them out and shame them for there disgusting ways! Remember iron sharpens iron? Check your Bible eph chapter 5 and you get get the same emphasis there! If that’s not enough Check IS 59:14 which ought to bring to bare why we are in the trouble we’re in! STEP UP AND GET EFFECTIVE!!!
Thank you Mr Shower for this article. Was discharged in 1976 and have been voting in every election after that. I voted against RCV before and am voting to get rid of it once and for all in this election.
if as you say the candidate is more likely to represent everyone then why does Peltola always vote perty line and not what we Alaskans really need or want.
RCV is an abomination. Thank you Lisa Murkowski for, once again, betraying Alaskans everywhere.
Thank you, Senator Shower, for your explanation of the just how important it is that RCV be defeated.
I have not heard one single solution if I were to vote against RCV. All I hear from the anti-RCV folks is complaints, zero solutions. I will not be voting to go back to a two party voting system.