Ballot Measure 2, which is to repeal open primaries and ranked choice voting, will be voted on the ballot for our Nov. 5 election. I am recommending a “no” vote. Alaska is one of a handful of states that uses a single ballot for our state primary. We no longer must belong to any political party or affiliation to vote in our state primary. Why doesn’t every state have an open primary? It is not hard to figure out. The parties want to control who is in the general election. It reminds me of when I was back in grade school, and we were choosing teams. It was not always the best players getting picked first; often, it was the ones with whom the captains were friends.
The major political parties are not in touch with all Alaskans. The state is too big and diverse. Just look at the makeup of our representatives in Juneau to see that the demographics of this group don’t align with the demographics of our state. Having a single primary ballot will allow the voters to be directly involved with who they will vote for in the general election.
We have witnessed the impact of open primaries and ranked choice voting. We have seen more moderate candidates get elected. This has led to smoother organization in the House, and because of this, Juneau has been working and passing more bipartisan bills and not pursuing as much divisive legislation.
I like ranked choice voting because I can rank up to four candidates, which gives me greater choice. One argument you hear is that ranked choice voting is complicated. If you vote at the polls, you have three chances to do it right, and the poll workers can help you. In the 2022 general election, 99.8% of ballots were filled out properly, and more than 70% of voters ranked candidates.
Another reason I like ranked choice voting instead of plurality vote, is because with the old voting system, I could only choose one candidate. I sometimes had to waste my vote because I didn’t think my choice would win; other times, I would vote for the lesser of two evils. With ranked choice voting, I don’t have to vote that way any longer.
Voting no on 2 gives voters more voice. Ranked choice voting also motivates candidates to consider all voters. Voters can rank candidates in order of preference, letting voters better express their desires in the final result.
If you believe our political scene has become more polarizing to our Alaskan way of life, I urge you to vote no on 2. Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 21, leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.
Alex Koplin is a lifetime voter and resident of Homer.
