During my four-year term as Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, as well as 14 years before that as a state legislator, I championed election processes that are simple, transparent, impartial and honest. I continue to advance those goals in Alaska’s elections. I also advocate for improvements to election processes that increase voter participation and acceptance of votes for Anchorage, where I serve as a member of its Election Commission. Although Anchorage has not subjected itself to the allure of ranked choice voting (RCV), our local elections have other shortcomings that should be addressed.

In 2020, I warned about the dangers of RCV and the impending onslaught of outside, dark money sure to impact Alaska’s elections. I was right. However, I underestimated the investment these groups, with their wealthy billionaire donors, would make. In 2024, I was a prime sponsor of the ballot measure to repeal RCV. We thought we could be outspent up to 10 to 1, which we figured we could handle, but were actually outspent 100 to 1. That’s right, the proponents for keeping the failed RCV system raised and spent $15 million, nearly all of it from dark money sources outside Alaska. We scratched and clawed to raise $150,000, almost all of it within Alaska, and came within 743 votes of succeeding. The lies and distortions of our opponents were shameful then. For the 2026 election, opponents are continuing to deceive and mislead voters. I encourage you to read the statement I signed with Mead Treadwell and Craig Campbell, two other former Lieutenant Governors, in the State’s official Election Pamphlet.

So what else is wrong with the measure that passed (barely) in 2020?

— RCV is complicated and confusing. Almost every day I field questions from confused voters. Ending RCV will return Alaska to the simple one-person, one-vote elections we had through 2020. It worked. For the 2022 and 2024 General Elections, thousands of ballots didn’t count because of mistakes in marking the ballot and the phenomenon of exhausted ballots. So, the system produces unintended results, encroaching on our civil rights.

— A companion change in 2020 was the Jungle Primary, which invited hordes of outside, dark money and enabled a candidate residing in federal prison in New York, another candidate with the same name as a far better-known U.S. Senator, and yet another vote-diverting candidate touted by dark, outside money to advance to the General Election, potentially fooling enough voters to impact the outcome. All of this is driven by a lust for power by outside interests, rather than what’s best for Alaska. In addition, 48 candidates for U.S. House in 2022 and 17 candidates for Governor in 2026 are too many for most people to process. Alaska’s primary elections worked well before this change.

— The token changes in campaign financing and reporting are not providing the increased transparency and honesty promised by its supporters in 2020. In fact, the result has been just the opposite. More dark, outside money is flowing to Alaska to corrupt our elections and commandeer purchase of the airwaves. Media companies might like the increased revenue, but most Alaskans who talk to me do not. YES on 2 will defeat the largest source of dark outside money Alaska has ever seen to influence our elections.

All of this creates distrust in voting and counting – and this leads to voter suppression, another potential infringement of our civil rights. I want more voter participation, not less. And Alaska’s “last in the nation” reporting of election results is outrageous.

So, what’s best for Alaska? Just say NO to inordinate outside influence in our comparatively small media market. We Alaskans know who we are and what we want. We do not want to be controlled by donors who have no real interest in Alaska’s success. Let’s go back to the tried and true election system we had before 2022. Voting YES on Ballot Measure 2 will do that.

If we need better sideboards on campaign financing and reporting and other election reforms, let’s consider those changes deliberately during the legislative session in 2027. One change worth considering is the nomination of a person to serve as Lieutenant Governor. This person could be a heartbeat away from serving as Governor of Alaska, and in my opinion should be introduced to Alaskans, tested in a statewide election, and nominated by the voters of Alaska in a Primary Election, not just by a candidate for Governor. I went through that humbling and educational process.

The views expressed here are those of the author.

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