Sign the petition!


Background


The system was successfully used in 2022 and the reform is already showing multiple benefits:

The open primary resulted in more competitive races. 

  • In 2022, every statewide Alaska primary provided voters with more choice. 
  • Voters polled said elections were more competitive than in the past. 

The open primary created a more diverse candidate pool.

  • In 2022 statewide primaries, political diversity increased, meaning more candidates had the freedom to run without ties to a political party.
  • Women entered Alaska’s 2022 statewide primaries at unprecedented numbers.
  • The new system yielded a larger, more diverse candidate pool that mirrored Alaska demographics.

In statewide races, winners earned broad support.

  • No political ideology had an advantage. The same pool of voters elected a conservative Republican, a moderate Republican, and a Democrat.
  • Winners were the 1st or 2nd choice of a majority of voters.

Elected officials are already working more collaboratively.

  • The Alaska State Senate organized as a 17 member coalition focused on consensus policymaking.
  • The Alaska State House, which has the largest freshman class since 2003, organized an informal freshman bipartisan caucus to collaborate across party and formal caucus lines to do the business of the people.

Despite these successes, former Governor Sarah Palin and a small group of legislators are trying to overturn these reforms, arguing that Alaskans are easily confused and unable to use the new system. 

The data tells a different story. Alaskans overwhelmingly found the new system simple to use. 

  • In the first RCV election in August 2022, 85% of voters polled stated that filling out their ballots was “simple.”
  • 99.8% of ballots were correctly filled out. 

Alaskans voted in favor of election reform in 2020, and successfully used the new system in 2022. But minority who want to overturn the new system are loud. We need your help.

The political elite that want to limit voters’ choices are pushing legislators to close the primary and revert to a system that allows candidates to win with less than a majority. We need your help to let legislators know what we know – that a majority of Alaskans want to see elected officials work together and approve of the reforms that resulted in better outcomes in the last election.

I hope you’ll join me in showing your support for better elections by signing this petition asking legislators to oppose all attempts to repeal the electoral reforms approved by voters in 2020. Thank you for your support in honoring the voices of Alaska voters. 

Juli Lucky
Executive Director