Some people claim that ranked choice voting favors progressives. This is obviously false. Gov. Mike Dunleavy and many other conservatives were elected (or reelected) in 2022 under RCV. Also note that in both Colorado and Nevada, two states with ballot propositions to implement RCV, the opposition is not from one side or the other, but from entrenched power. A front-page article on RCV in The Sunday Denver Post (Sept. 29) stated: “(RCV is) a type of system that’s emerging nationally but has drawn a rare unity of opposition from the state Democratic and Republican parties.”
The old system favors extremists and insiders, yet we’re a nation of moderates. RCV is a minor tune-up that addresses several problems, including divisiveness.
After the election in 2022, District 35 House candidate Kevin McKinley, a Republican, said in an interview on KUAC that he had actively campaigned for the second-choice rankings of Democratic voters. Ashley Carrick, a Democrat, said that because of RCV, she had, “broadened the base of people that you would consider as potential supporters.” This election system encourages candidates to bridge the divide and is exactly what we need.
As a voter, you can think deeply, vote your ideals, and better express yourself. In the U.S. House race, I’m planning to rank Mary Peltola first and Nick Begich III second. RCV isn’t difficult; it’s just new (and interesting). I’m proud that Alaska has assumed national leadership. Prop. 2 would send us backward. I’ll vote no on Prop. 2.
— Tom Baring
Fairbanks
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