In 2020, Alaskans voted to change the state’s election system. And last year those changes went into effect in the form of ranked choice voting and non-partisan primaries. But those changes are being challenged, both by a petition and by bills lawmakers will take up this session.
Dillingham Independent Rep. Bryce Edgmon said he wasn’t surprised.
“Looking at the bills that have been pre-filed, there's a number that address repealing rank choice voting for sure, coming from more conservative legislators,” he said, speaking a few days before the legislature convened. “But there's also a number of bills that would address the election system more in its entirety.”
Edgmon supports ranked choice voting — he said it sets the stage for more moderate candidates to run for seats in the legislature and meet each other in the middle.
“I've never been a fan of the close but Republican primary system," he said. "I thought that sent a lot of extreme legislators to Juneau,” he said.
Edgmon thinks it’s not ranked choice voting specifically that the legislature needs to address. He’s open to wider conversations about Alaska’s elections.
“What can we do more to make it easier for people to vote and for people to have a higher degree of confidence in the outcomes of the election?” he said.
But Edgmon said Alaska has lessons to offer about ranked choice voting. And he hopes the system will serve as a model for other states for years to come.
Get in touch with the author at izzy@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
