The Alaska Supreme Court has confirmed that a measure to repeal the state’s ranked-choice election system will be put to voters in November.
The state's high court upheld a previous ruling, rejecting an appeal challenging the measure’s certification, as the Alaska Beacon reports.
The decision, announced on Thursday, secures the measure’s place on the November ballot. The ruling backs a lower court’s approval of Ballot Measure 2, which seeks to overturn Alaska’s ranked-choice voting and open primary systems. These systems were established following a 2020 ballot initiative, but now face a potential reversal by the electorate.
The legal debate centered around whether the Alaska Division of Elections properly certified the repeal measure. Critics of the certification process argued that the Division allowed corrections to petition signature books after their submission, a practice they claimed violated state law. The plaintiffs contended that such corrections were illegal and, if disqualified, could have invalidated enough signatures to prevent the measure from reaching the ballot.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Lael Harrison, speaking on behalf of the state, confirmed that the court’s decision effectively closed this chapter of the dispute. “Today the Court quickly affirmed that the Division of Elections properly interpreted and applied the law in qualifying this initiative for the November ballot,” she said.
The swift ruling by the court, Harrison added, ensures the Division has ample time to meet its upcoming ballot printing deadlines. However, the justices offered no detailed explanation for their decision, leaving some questions about the underlying legal reasoning.
Former Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson, who represents the group pushing for the repeal, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision. “I was very pleased the court was able to so quickly see through the smoke the other side was putting out,” Clarkson remarked. He further noted that the justices’ pointed questions during oral arguments indicated a clear understanding of the legal issues at stake.
On the other side, Scott Kendall, an attorney for the plaintiffs and a key figure in crafting the state’s current election laws, expressed disappointment in the outcome. “We do not yet know the Court’s reasoning, but despite demonstrated irregularities in the Division of Elections’ handling of the … petition, they were obviously unwilling to reverse the superior court,” Kendall commented via text message.
Kendall also highlighted the ongoing legal battles for the repeal backers, who are currently facing nearly $100,000 in fines due to citations from Alaska’s campaign finance regulator for illegal fundraising practices. These fines add another layer of complexity to the repeal effort as the November vote approaches.
The upcoming vote will decide the fate of Alaska’s relatively new election system. Ranked choice voting, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, has been touted by supporters as a way to encourage broader participation and reduce political polarization. However, critics argue that it is confusing and undermines the traditional voting process.
In addition to ranked choice voting, the measure also seeks to abolish open primary elections, where all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, compete in a single primary, with the top candidates advancing to the general election. This system was intended to give voters more choice and reduce the influence of party machinery in elections.
As the November election looms, both sides are gearing up for a contentious campaign. Repeal proponents will likely emphasize perceived flaws in the current system, while defenders of the status quo will argue that the reforms have made Alaska’s elections more fair and representative.
The court’s ruling ensures that Alaskans will have the final say on whether to keep or discard these election reforms. The outcome of the vote could have significant implications not only for the state but also for the national debate on election reform.
