Vote ‘NO’ on Ballot Measure 2 in 2026.

The League of Women Voters of Alaska does NOT support Ballot Measure 2 on the November 3, 2026 statewide general election ballot — officially, initiative 24ESEG, titled “An Act Restoring Political Party Primaries, Ending Ranked-Choice General Elections, and Repealing Recent Campaign Finance Laws” (Alaska Dept. of Law, AGO No. 2025200007-Updated-8-28-26).

This is the second attempt to repeal Alaska’s open top-four primary and ranked-choice general election system. A nearly identical measure appeared on the November 2024 ballot and failed.  The League continues to oppose these repeated attempts to overturn existing Alaskan election law, as well as the public cost (estimated to be $2.6 million) of revisiting the same question.

It is important to note that this does not just repeal the process of Ranked Choice Voting. It would also repeal Alaska’s nonpartisan open primary and roll back the campaign disclosure rules voters approved in 2020.

Without the open primary, party primaries return, and each party again sets the rules for who may participate in choosing its nominees. This means that each party can control who is on the ballot, whether you have to be registered in the party to vote (for instance excluding non-partisan or independent voters or not), and they wouldn’t carry the other party’s candidates (voters would not be allowed to vote for a Republican in one race, and for a Democrat in another, for instance). Also candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor would again have to run separately rather than as a ticket in the party primary. 

The current campaign disclosure rule seeks to prevent “dark money” in Alaska politics. “Dark money” is money spent to influence an election when voters cannot see who originally provided the funding. The 2020 law added a “true source” requirement so that funding could be traced back to whoever actually paid for it. This measure repeals that requirement. It also eliminates the paid-for-by disclaimers on broadcast and digital advertising, drops the disclosure requirement for contributions over $2,000 a year, and removes fines for certain disclosure violations. Note: the current law affects only state and local elections; it does not change federal campaign disclosure laws for the US House,  US Senate, or Presidential elections.

Advantages of Ranked Choice Voting

RCV allows voters to rank candidates by preference, ensuring that the elected candidate has broader support. Here are some key advantages:

Ensures Majority Support: RCV ensures that the winning candidate has majority support, rather than just a plurality. This system helps prevent a candidate disliked by the majority from winning simply because the opposition is split among several other candidates.

Eliminates Spoilers: Voters can choose their preferred candidate without fear of “wasting” their vote or unintentionally helping elect their least favorite candidate. This mitigates the “spoiler effect” often seen in plurality voting systems.

Promotes Positive Campaigns: Candidates are incentivized to appeal to a broader audience, including the supporters of their opponents, leading to more civil and less negative campaigning.

Decreases Cost and Increases Participation: RCV can eliminate the need for costly runoff elections, which typically see lower voter turnout. It also tends to increase overall voter participation by providing a more meaningful way to express preferences.

Open primaries, where voters are not required to be affiliated with a political party to vote in that party’s primary, offer several benefits:

Increases Voter Turnout: Open primaries allow all voters, regardless of party affiliation, to participate in the selection of candidates. This can lead to a broader spectrum of voter engagement and higher voter turnout.

Moderates Candidates: Because candidates must appeal to a broader electorate, open primaries can help moderate candidates who have wider appeal get nominated, rather than those who cater only to the base of their party.

Reduces Polarization: By encouraging candidates to appeal to a wider range of voters, open primaries can help reduce political polarization and promote more centrist policies.

Both ranked choice voting and open primaries are seen as reforms that can lead to a more inclusive, representative, and functional democratic process.