Not red. Not blue. Just Alaskan.
The majority of Alaskan voters don’t belong to a political party and believe that elections should be about electing the best candidate, whether they are independent, Republican, Democrat or something else. Alaska’s election system celebrates our independence, giving us the freedom to vote for the person who is best for the job.
The power is in the hands and minds of Alaskan voters and the results speak for themselves.
Getting things done across party lines
Gridlock. Extended special sessions. Government shutdowns. It’s what we’re seeing in DC and was the reality in Alaska before voters approved election reforms in 2020. But now, our unique election system puts the power in voters’ hands, forcing politicians to appeal to a broad range of voters to earn majority support and allowing all voters to keep them accountable at the ballot box. We should be proud of our unique system that elects legislators willing to work across party lines on the important issues facing our state.
What Alaska has accomplished
Balanced budgets - fewer special sessions.
In the years before our current system was approved by voters, Alaska’s legislature set records for starting late and repeat special sessions, delaying budget approvals and resulting in uncertainty. That changed immediately after the first election under open primaries and ranked choice voting. Legislators were ready to start work on time and adjourned on time with balanced budgets.
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Public education funding gains
For more than a decade, public school funding stagnated, allowing inflation to effectively eat away at budgets. Most Alaskans supported an increase, but partisan grandstanding resulted in gridlock. In 2025, a supermajority of legislators from across party lines came together to pass a permanent increase in school funding. There is still work to do and our system elects lawmakers who can do it.
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How Alaska’s election system works:
Nonpartisan open primary = more choice
All voters get the same ballot with every candidate. Voters have the freedom to vote for the best candidate, regardless of party. The four most competitive candidates advance to the general election
Ranked choice voting = majority support to win
Voters rank candidates in order of preference. If a candidate earns majority support (50% + 1 vote), they win! If not, there is an instant runoff. This ensures majority support without the need for a separate, inconvenient, and expensive runoff election and forces winning candidates to appeal to a broad majority of voters; they can't win with just the support of a narrow base.
Dark money ban = transparency
Individual campaign donors to state campaigns must be publicly named and can't hide behind front groups. Identifying the "true source" ensures voters know who is influencing our elections.
Open Primary
Ranked Choice
Dark Money Ban
Voter Power
Alaska's election system gives voters more choice and requires candidates to earn support from a majority of their voters — not just win a closed party primary dominated by extremes.