Open primaries and ranked choice voting are widely supported by Alaskans.

Here are some reasons why.

"Ranked choice voting allowed me to vote for the candidate of my choice for the first time in my life. And I've been voting since 1976. Usually, I've been obligated to vote for the least bad candidate that I thought had a chance of winning. Ranked choice voting offers us real democracy, more varied candidates, real choice"

- Scott Miller, Homer

"I support open primaries. No matter what party I am affiliated with, I should have the choice to support the candidate that is most closely aligned with my values. Sometimes that's a Democrat, sometimes it's a Republican, sometimes an independent. The voters have spoken on this issue and made their position clear."

- Debbie McKay, Kenai

"Open primaries and ranked-choice voting have benefited all citizens to have a more equitable voice and stake in their government"

- Lejla Berberovic, Anchorage

"Those who are fighting against RCV are bent on closing primaries, taking away people’s choices, and importing the divisive politics of the rest of the country. We’ve built bipartisan coalitions through RCV that are strengthening our education system, protecting our rights, and building our economy."

- Tom Begich

"Per capita, Alaska has more registered nonpartisan voters than any other state in the country. Our election system reflects this independence and the open primary gives all Alaskan voters the freedom to vote for any candidate they support."

- Penny Gage

"I like allowing every voter, regardless of party affiliation, to have an equal say in who advances from an open primary to the general election. Open primaries and ranked-choice voting motivate candidates to appeal to a broader base, rather than having candidates pitching extreme views to win a primary and then trying to come across as responsive to a broader audience in the general election. Who is opposed to an approach that rewards moderation and inclusiveness instead of narrow partisanship?"

- Diane Schenker, Anchorage

"In the 44 years I have lived in Alaska, I finally feel the voting procedure is really representing the voice of the majority vote! I voted for ranked-choice voting, and I would vote for it again."

- Carol Hazeltine, Anchorage

    Open primaries and ranked choice voting are widely supported by Alaskans.

    Here are some reasons why.

    "We like Open Primaries because it allows all registered voters to have a say about who will be the candidates in the general election. Even though there may be a larger number of candidates running in the open primary system, Open Primaries have the potential to eventually increase voter turnout in the primary elections if voters have several election cycles to adjust to the change. And they give all voters the right to participate in all levels of an election. Our support for Ranked Choice Voting is also based on its potential to strengthen democracy. We need officials who will work across the aisle to solve issues and problems facing the State of Alaska and its residents. Party should not come before country and RCV has the ability to moderate the tendency we see in today's governance at all levels that tends toward party power rather than country governance." – Judy Andree, Juneau "I like ranked choice voting. The current voting system saved time and money for the citizens of Alaska and the State of Alaska. I think those who claim they were confused were confused as to why they must rank themselves and other candidates after blasting them. I was in kindergarten when I was 14. English is my second language. If someone like me understood the instructions, someone who speaks only in English should understand the system better than I do and did." – Nelson Angapak, Sr., US Army veteran; former Senior Vice President, Alaska Federation of Natives "Those who are fighting against RCV are bent on closing primaries, taking away people’s choices, and importing the divisive politics of the rest of the country. We’ve built bipartisan coalitions through RCV that are strengthening our education system, protecting our rights, and building our economy." – Tom Begich "I love that we now get to vote for a person rather than having to vote for a party. I love that we now get to vote for the candidate we actually want without fear of splitting the vote. The result is better representation, which is the entire point of government." – Carl Brodersen, Juneau "I voted for open primaries and RCV. I like ranked choice voting a lot. It elected good people from both sides of the political spectrum. It is our best way to return Alaska to a non-partisan place where we work together to get things done." – Bob Butera, Anchorage “Party-induced fear prevents many voters from researching other candidates. Prior to RCV, key party elites would determine who was on the primary ballot and which ballot you received. The open primary and RCV puts candidate ballot access squarely where it belongs: with Alaska voters. Any Republican can run. Any Democrat can run. More and most importantly, any Alaskan can run. We are no longer chained to the lesser of two evils — which is what terrifies the party bosses.
    If we are looking for the best representative, we should not be shackled into choosing the lesser of two evils; we must look beyond fear and the gatekeepers of the political parties. We should grasp the opportunity that the open primary and ranked-choice voting provide for a better governance future.”     – Chris Bye, former Libertarian US House candidate, US Army veteran, Fairbanks resident     "RCV reduces partisanship, encourages more candidates to run, including independents, boosts voter turnout and takes power away from special interests and out-of-state influence." – Santa Claus, North Pole
         "Ranked choice voting has proven to be effective and valuable system for ensuring that elections accurately reflect the will of the voters. By allowing voters to rank their preferences for multiple candidates, RCV encourages candidates to appeal to a broader range of constituents and promotes civil and issue-focused campaigns. It eliminates the "spoiler effect" and reduces the need for strategic voting, thus empowering voters to choose their preferred candidates without fear of wasting their vote or compromising their values." – Scott Crass, Fairbanks
         "I've often felt disenfranchised at elections, forced to vote for "the lesser of two evils" rather than the candidate I truly preferred. Ranked Choice Voting gives better options and opens up the field to more candidates." – Ann Dixon, Homer "The voters approved rank-choice voting, and polls show overwhelming continued support for that system. Having been a non-partisan voter for most of my life, I have voted for Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, and I appreciate having the ability to rank candidates that a majority of Alaskans have selected to be on the ballot rather than the hyper-partisan candidates usually selected during closed party primaries. I support ranked-choice voting." – Catherine Ducasse, Anchorage
         "Ranked choice voting is an important structural remedy in this time of bitter partisan polarization. It leads to better representation and better governance." – David Frankl, Eagle River "Per capita, Alaska has more registered nonpartisan voters than any other state in the country. Our election system reflects this independence and the open primary gives all Alaskan voters the freedom to vote for any candidate they support." – Penny Gage "I enthusiastically support Open Primaries and Ranked Choice Voting. They provide opportunities for the best and most favored candidates to rise to the top. I especially like that my second-choice candidate has a chance of being elected if my first-choice fails to impress enough voters. RCV promotes consensus instead of polarity and gives me hope that we can work together in spite of our differences." – Mary Griswold, Homer "We want more choices, not less. We want more inclusion, not exclusion. We want more civility and respect in our election process, not mudslinging. We want Alaska's good to be your focus, not party preservation or reelection." – Eric Gucker, Ketchikan
         "Open primaries and ranked choice voting have taken the power away from backroom party politics, where unelected party leaders controlled the decisions of elected officials by controlling fundraising and endorsements. That is critical if we are going to move the State forward, because old school party politics doesn’t reward tough decisions; it only – Randy Hoffbeck, Evangelical Pastor and former Revenue Commissioner rewards conformity. We have already seen that getting a more diverse group of people onto the general election ballot and into office has freed our elected officials to work across party lines to find solutions rather than just defending extreme positions. Open primaries and ranked choice voting allow for political leaders to engage in open, honest and public discussions on hard issues instead of just focusing on what will play well with the party bosses in the next election cycle." “Our current open primary and ranked choice voting system allows for more freedom, more choice, more influence, and greater participation among Alaskans. It facilitates broader discussion by the candidates, and that produces a more informed constituency—which means election outcomes are driven directly by the will of voters. The ability to have this type of engagement is restorative for the long-term intent of our democratic system. It decentralizes power and empowers voters.” – Ana Hoffman, Co-Chair, Alaska Federation of Natives; President/CEO, Bethel Native Corporation "Alaskans should be able to choose the person, not the party. Before Alaska closed primary elections, registered Republicans voted for Democrats, and registered Democrats voted for Republicans. What open primaries and ranked choice voting gives us is choice. The process to elect a candidate shouldn’t be controlled by a single party, in a back room. It should be the citizens who elect the candidate." – Linda Hutchings, Business Owner, Soldotna Republican "Open primaries ensure that candidates who have broader appeal to a greater number of Alaskans make it on the general election ballot, and RCV in the general election gives us the freedom to vote our conscience rather than trying to make difficult calculations about who has the best chance of winning." – Ingrid Johnson, South Anchorage "A couple of years ago, a prominent Republican suggested to me that we generally vote against candidates, not for candidates. He cited a number of examples. The open primary and ranked choice voting system gets us back to basics. Candidates have to earn each vote, one vote at a time. The current election system is a big, dynamic positive change of being able to vote for candidates." – Jennifer Johnston, former Alaska State Representative "Open primaries and ranked choice voting have given us the opportunity to elect people who care about our issues, even if they’re not Alaska Native. As a nonpartisan voter, I appreciate being able to vote for candidates regardless of party affiliation. I appreciate the option to rank or not rank certain candidates. I was able to control the process; no one else was selecting a candidate in a closed primary process that I wasn’t part of, then leaving me with the options they chose. I was able to cast my vote how I wanted." – La quen náay Liz Medicine Crow, First Alaskans President and CEO "The largest party of registered voters in Alaska is the ‘non-party’ – the commonsense, no-nonsense group sandwiched between the two main parties. Common sense and good government can prevail with the help of RCV. Given the polarization in the country, Alaskans cannot afford to merely preserve the nonpartisan RCV model; we have an obligation to lead a movement. Ranked choice will help restore confidence in our electoral system by creating a lane that allows politicians to become public servants — in service of all Alaskans." – Joe Nelson, Chairman of Sealaska and a co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives "Ranked choice voting keeps the choices in the hands of the voters rather than the
    party powers. It also reduces the partisan polarization that has infected our country."     – Steve Poirot, Anchorage
         "[Open Primaries and RCV] presents a unique and wonderful opportunity to ensure we each have a voice in our elections. The open primary system ensured that a diverse set of candidates emerged, one that better matched Alaska demographics." – Ann Rappoport, Anchorage “I believe in good public policy. Alaska’s ranked choice voting system is good public policy. It gives a voice to the majority of Alaskans who are not at either end of the political extremes. It also allows for better candidates, qualified individuals who can take thoughtful, moderated positions that would not have allowed them to survive a primary vote in the last few years, in either political party. I’m joining this organization to help maintain the ranked choice voting system in Alaska, where we are leading the way to better elections.” – Bryan Schroder, former US Attorney for the District of Alaska Alaska has one of the highest numbers of registered undeclared or independent voters in the country for a reason - we want to vote for candidates rather than parties or single-issue platforms. Our current electorate is much less polarized than it has been in recent years, and I think this will bring a certain amount of civility to our state government that appears to be lacking in other states. – Brock Tabor, Juneau "[Open primaries and RCV] let people vote for who they want, meaning we can vote for anyone on the ballot regardless of political party." – Cynthia Tripp Johnson, Dillingham
    Take Action Today to Protect Alaska's Open Primaries

    Alaskans believe that elections should be about voting for the best candidate, regardless of whether they are a Republican, Democrat, or independent and that’s exactly what our new election system with open primaries allows every Alaskan to do. Over 60% of Alaskans have chosen not to register with any political party. Our new voting system gives every Alaskan the freedom to vote for any candidate they want. These reforms help unrig our political system and put power and freedom back in the hands of the voters.

    Join the movement!

    Join us
    "We support ranked choice voting because it gives everybody options... The candidate should be able to get the message out, and then let the people decide who they want to vote on. Taking away ranked choice voting means you don’t want people to have more options."
    Kevin McGee
    NAACP Anchorage President
    "The process to elect a candidate shouldn’t be controlled by a single party, in a back room. It should be the citizens who elect the candidate."
    Linda Hutchings
    Business Owner, Soldotna Republican
    "Alaska’s ranked choice voting system is good public policy. It gives a voice to the majority of Alaskans who are not at either end of the political extremes. It also allows for better candidates, qualified individuals who can take thoughtful, moderated positions that would not have allowed them to survive a primary vote in the last few years, in either political party."
    Bryan Schroder
    Former US Attorney for the District of Alaska
    "The open primary and ranked choice voting system gets us back to basics. Candidates have to earn each vote, one vote at a time. The current election system is a big, dynamic positive change of being able to vote for candidates."
    Jennifer Johnston
    Former Alaska State Representative
    "Ranked choice will help restore confidence in our electoral system by creating a lane that allows politicians to become public servants — in service of all Alaskans."
    Joe Nelson
    Serves as chairman of Sealaska and is a co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives.
    "Our current open primary and ranked choice voting system allows for more freedom, more choice, more influence, and greater participation among Alaskans."
    Ana Hoffman
    Co-Chair, Alaska Federation of Natives; President/CEO, Bethel Native Corporation
    "The open primary and RCV puts candidate ballot access squarely where it belongs: with Alaska voters. Any Republican can run. Any Democrat can run. More and most importantly, any Alaskan can run."
    Chris Bye
    Former Libertarian US House candidate, US Army veteran, Fairbanks resident
    "English is my second language. If someone like me understood the instructions, someone who speaks only in English should understand the system better than I do and did."
    Nelson Angapak Sr.
    US Army veteran; former Senior Vice President, Alaska Federation of Natives
    "Open primaries and ranked choice voting allow for political leaders to engage in open, honest and public discussions on hard issues instead of just focusing on what will play well with the party bosses in the next election cycle."
    Randy Hoffbeck
    Evangelical Pastor and former Revenue Commissioner
    "I appreciate the option to rank or not rank certain candidates. I was able to control the process; no one else was selecting a candidate in a closed primary process that I wasn’t part of, then leaving me with the options they chose. I was able to cast my vote how I wanted."
    La quen náay Liz Medicine Crow
    First Alaskans President and CEO
      Image

      We can't do this without your support. Donate to Alaskans for Better Elections to help defend our election system.

      Donate Today

      Sign up and stay up-to-date on our work.