Ranked Choice Voting Repeal Measure Approved For November Ballot By Alaska Supreme Court.

The Alaska Supreme Court has made a ruling allowing a measure that aims to repeal the state’s ranked-choice voting system to remain on the ballot for November. This decision is the latest development in an ongoing legal battle concerning the state’s electoral process.

In a short 2-page order, the Supreme Court has determined that the initiative seeking to repeal Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system will be presented to the voters during the November elections. The court is expected to release a detailed opinion explaining the reasoning behind this ruling at a later date.

In a crucial ruling on June 7th, Justice Rankin sided with state election officials, concluding that they had not violated any laws by allowing sponsors of the petition to correct mistakes in their submission. “The Division acted within its authority in allowing the sponsors to make corrections to the certification affidavits on individual booklets after they were filed, but before the Division completed counting signatures,” Rankin explained in her opinion. She further emphasized that the Division had complied with all mandatory deadlines in placing the 22AKHE initiative on the general ballot for November 2024.

While delivering her ruling, Justice Rankin stated, “There is no evidence in this case that there was a pervasive pattern of intentional, knowing, and orchestrated misconduct to warrant invalidating the 22AKHE initiative petition.”

Scott Kendall, the attorney representing the voters who sought to disqualify the measure from the ballot, did not respond to requests for comment on the recent ruling.

Ranked-choice voting was introduced in Alaska after a ballot measure in 2020 implemented an open primary system. Under this system, all candidates compete in a single primary, regardless of party affiliation. The top four candidates then advance to the general election, where voters rank them based on preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed according to the voters’ next choices. This process continues until a candidate secures a majority.

Proponents of ranked-choice voting argue that it reduces political polarization and provides centrist candidates with a better chance of winning. Opponents, on the other hand, claim that it is confusing and burdensome for voters, potentially resulting in errors or spoiled ballots.

Advocates of ranked-choice voting assert that it ensures elected officials receive broader support from the electorate. However, critics argue that it unfairly disadvantages candidates with a strong but narrow base of support and forces voters to rank candidates they may not fully endorse.