Explainer: How Alaska’s unique new election system will work

  • 📰 adndotcom
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 56 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 26%
  • Publisher: 63%

United States Headlines News

United States Latest News,United States Headlines

Alaska elections will be held for the first time this year under a system that scraps party primaries and uses ranked choice voting in general elections. No other state conducts its elections with this combination.

Ballot envelopes being removed from a ballot drop box outside the Region II Elections Office on Gambell Street after the polls closed on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.

Under the new system, there will be one ballot, available to all registered voters, with each candidate in a given race. The top four vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, head to the general election. Voters in the general election then can rank candidates by order of preference.Another change: Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor will team up at the outset.

Some have seen the system as potentially helping Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has a reputation as a moderate and has at times been at odds with Alaska party leaders, including in her criticism of former President Donald Trump. Murkowski, in announcing her reelection bid in November, said the strength she offers is that “for me, it has always been about reaching out to all Alaskans,” not just Republicans. She said she hopes one outcome of the system is that candidates might be more civil toward one another.Scott Kendall, an attorney who helped write the Alaska ballot initiative, said the new system gives voters choices. The reason for ranked voting is to avoid “distorted” outcomes, he said.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

What’s the point of having political parties if they can’t choose their own candidate for office?

AndrewYang ;)

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 293. in US

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Curious Alaska: Why don’t we have billboards in Alaska?Question: Why are there no billboards in Alaska? Very short answer: It’s too beautiful. kylehopkinsAK ((Arent they banned?)) (leaves to read) Because we thankfully have a law against them! I first learned this factoid in 1993 when I was living in Tallahassee Florida with a roommate that daydreamed of Girdwood. She had a water bottle full of pocket change. Hope she made it…
Source: adndotcom - 🏆 293. / 63 Read more »

Economic report for Alaska fishing industry economic offers some surprising numbersFish Factor: Where do most Alaska fishermen live? Which region is home to the most fishing boats? The answers can be found in a new report from Alaska_Seafood
Source: adndotcom - 🏆 293. / 63 Read more »

Alaska reports 21 COVID-19 deaths, 3 of them recent, and limited Anchorage ICU spaceAlaska on Monday reported 21 more deaths in Alaskans with COVID-19, three of them recent, as the state continues to grapple with surging cases linked to the highly transmissable omicron variant of the coronavirus . GovDunleavy cool w/ killing elders
Source: adndotcom - 🏆 293. / 63 Read more »

Telling Alaska’s Story: Meet Ms. Wheelchair Alaska USAAnchorage resident Kristie Lent will represent the state in a national pageant in Ohio this summer, but it’s one some people may not be familiar with. Lent is Ms. Wheelchair Alaska USA, the first contestant the state has ever had. Glad to hear you are giving Kristie some love, but the story really downplays the others (yes, more than one) who have been in the better known Ms. Wheelchair America contest and that's too bad. Kristie is amazing! 👑 Love this story!
Source: AKNewsNow - 🏆 460. / 53 Read more »

Alaska attorney general joins others in call for tougher approach toward fentanylAlaska Attorney General Treg Taylor has joined attorneys general from 15 other states in calling for a tougher approach toward keeping the opioid fentanyl out of the United States.
Source: AKNewsNow - 🏆 460. / 53 Read more »

Alaska Tribes Are Fighting Back Against Plans to Open Colossal Gold MineTwo Alaska Native corporations are working to develop what would be one of the world’s largest gold mines.
Source: truthout - 🏆 69. / 68 Read more »