Letter to the editor

Opposes ranked choice voting

Alaska Democrats have apparently for many years been frustrated with their inability to get their candidates elected. Then they found out about the rank choice system [RCV] thanks to outside leftist groups who had figured out a way to assist Democrats get elected in red states. They explained to the Alaska Democratic Party how they could begin winning by ‘spitting’…. namely, rank choice voting could split the conservative vote by getting multiple conservatives to complete against each other in general elections and result in the more liberal candidate being elected. These same outside groups also provided large amounts of financial support used to convince Alaskans to vote for RCV. The 2020 rank choice voting proposition on the Alaska ballet wound up passing 50.5% yes, 49.5 % no.

Any claim that prior to rank choice voting the Republican primary system only allowed a minority of Alaskan voters to participate and select a Republican candidate is absolutely incorrect. In addition to registered Republican voters, those registered as undeclared and nonpartisan could also vote in a Republican primary. For example this meant, according to the Alaska Division of Elections, in 2020, 71% of all registered voters could vote in the Republican primary.

Alaska’s conservatives know that the primary system that existed for so many years worked very well. Republicans of many views, as well as someone approved by the Alaskan Republican party, could compete for primary votes, and the one with the best ideas and experience could be selected to run against candidates from other parties.

Many of Alaskan conservatives are working hard to get rid of rank choice voting and back to what has worked so well for obtaining good Alaskan leaders.

Jim Lieb,

Palmer