How Should Alaskans Choose?: The Debate Over Ranked Choice Voting

• Main Author: Sbano, Angela
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Duke University School of Law 2020
• Subjects: Law; Alaska law review
• Online Access: https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/alr/vol37/iss2/9; https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1586&context=alr

In November 2020, Alaskan voters will decide whether or not they will adopt a Ranked Choice Voting system for elections within their state. While the move would be an unprecedented one for the state, the state of Maine and cities across the country have already adopted Ranked Choice Voting in recent years. The electoral system of Ranked Choice Voting in the United States has seen city-wide adoption, mass repeal, and renewed interest and support over the last century. Proponents hail its ability to improve representation and campaign civility, while opponents point out its complexity and potential to decrease voter turnout. The issue of whether to adopt this electoral reform invokes questions about access to representation, voter participation, and solutions to the larger structural problems, such as polarization, that plague American politics today.