Phil Izon, one of the leaders in the 2024 attempt to repeal Alaska’s ranked-choice voting and jungle primary system, doesn’t think Nov. 5th’s defeat of Ballot Measure 2 is the final answer. The ballot measure only lost by 743 votes, and that was with a small group of Alaskans up against $15 million in Outside dark money trying to keep ranked-choice voting.
Today Izon filed a new application with the Division of Elections to get another petition circulating, which would lead to Alaskans being given yet another chance to repeal the voting method that has been promoted by Outside dark money and Alaska Democrats.
Izon turned in 214 signatures on his petition application today. The wording that he is asking approval for is nearly exactly what voters voted on this year, which should make it easier for the Division of Elections to approve.
But this time, the key phrase is “remove.”
Izon and others have relayed to Must Read Alaska that many Alaskans were confused by the language of Ballot Measure 2 this year. They thought when they voted “No” that they were voting against ranked-choice voting, when in fact they were voting to retain it.
Now, the wording says:
“AN INITIATIVE TO: REMOVE THE RANKED CHOICE VOTING SYSTEM: AN ACT REMOVING THE RANKED-CHOICE GENERAL ELECTION; RESTORING THE PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION SYSTEMS USED PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THE RANKED CHOICE VOTING INITIATIVE IN 2020 (19AKBE).”
“This act would Remove Ranked-Choice General Election. This act would restore one person, one vote by removing
the rank choice voting system and replacing it with the Primary and General Election Process used before the rank choice voting initiative was adopted in 2020. Primary voters would vote for their preferred party candidate, and one
candidate from each registered political party would appear on the general ballot. The candidate with the most votes
wins the Primary Election. The candidate with the most votes wins the General Election. This initiative also restores
voter choice in the nomination of the Lieutenant Governor for each party, reaffirming Alaska’s commitment to its two constitutional offices.”
The wording submitted by Izon is not the final wording. That will be up to the Division of Elections, as it was last time. This time, however, if confusing language is used in the ballot initiative, Izon is willing to challenge it, something he didn’t do last time.
Izon says that the past two years have been an education. There are people all over the state who are ready to try again and will gather the signatures needed. They’ve been through the learning curve together and believe it will be easier to get the required signatures from all across the state. The group will need to get signatures equal to 7% of the total district vote in the last general election from each of 30 of the 40 Alaska House districts.
If people are interested in being a petition gatherer or host an event, or volunteer, Izon has set up a website at www.907Honest.com. While he is not ready to take donations he is looking for volunteers who will help gather signatures once the petition booklets are issued.
The Division of Elections has 60 days to approve the new petition and issue petition books to the 907Honest group, a small grassroots group that is fighting Outside dark money that is taking over Alaska’s elections.
Update: Another group has filed a petition application with the Division of Elections, with the same goal in mind. Read about it at this link:
Can anybody tell me isn’t it against the law to have more than one vote? In rank choice voting we have more than one vote. And whether you’re a Democrat or republican once you do ranked choice voting you lose control of your vote. Your vote then goes to the system and they put your vote where they want. Isn’t losing control of your vote and voting more than once illegal?
Wrong on “they” put your vote wherever “the” want.
It’s not that hard to figure out how to cast a ranked choice ballot.
I didn’t see it was hard. I was asking question and nobody seems to be able to answer.
One person one vote means that each voter can cast a ballot and it also requires that – as nearly as is practicable – the weight and worth of every vote must be equal. RCV does violate that, but not for the reason you think. There’s no issue with every voter being able to rank candidates or show more information as long as everyone else can as well. What does violate the one person, one vote principle is the fact that RCV doesn’t count all the rankings voters put down, even if they are relevant and could change the outcome, and that’s why it has exhausted ballots that can’t be counted in the final round.
Other preference voting methods also have more expressive ballots but they pass one person one vote because they count all the ballot data. You can learn more about this all at rcvchangedalaska.com and equal.vote.
So is there legal ground to take it to the courts?
One would think that my multiple votes votes being moved to different candidates is illegal.
So is there legal ground to take it to the courts?
One would think that my multiple votes being moved to different candidates is illegal.
Wrong. Nobody has the time to research 4 candidates. Nobody wants a marginal candidate. That’s all you get with RCV. A couple of good candidates, a confusing shell game of “Where did my vote go?”, and lower voter turnout because of the unintended consequences of the scheme – where the system (and a manipulated candidate roster) “elects” the “winner”.
Yes and it should be illegal, and we should take it to court if we have Merritt to stand on.
AMEN!
I am not sure what you don’t understand, so let’s break it down to the ridiculous.
You’ve been assigned to rank these 5 fruits by choice: Pineapple, apple, orange, grape and pomegranate. Here’s your list, and the first choice is your most desired, last on the list is your least desired.
By apples receiving the most votes in the first place category apples is the winner.
The absolute beauty about this is multi faceted. The Evil Democrats or the Horrible Republicans lose the ability to treat this like a damn football game, and you the voter actually have to dig into the issues! This system allows a candidate to talk about the issues relevant to YOU, the voter.
RCV is different than what we’re used to, true. But it allows you the voter to flex your muscle instead of the same two parties not giving you good choices.
It’ll never fly; the Div. of Elections will do what they do on everything, slant the wording into a word salads that will eventually so confuse the voter, it will just happen again.
Those people are trained professional, pencil driving paper-pushing desk flyers. It’s almost impossible to get around that.
The only way around it is to have an informed voting base, unfortunately we see what and uninformed voting base delivers time and time again. Until people make the decision to inform themselves it really doesn’t matter what word salad is used it will confuse enough uninformed voters.
Jeanette, I disagree. Whether the wording is what we need or not, it is up to the people of Alaska to stand up and make it happen, both with money (if you choose or cannot volunteer your time) and your time, if you are able. But it takes numbers and willingness to donate. We have a way, Phil is doing that, but there is always a way to say “oh we can’t do that, if we choose to be part of the problem rather than the solution.
Phil,
Someone needs to approach Elon Musk or other well-to-do conservative to invest in advertising to balance the exposure.
The survival of RCV in Alaska is a bad omen. A couple million dollars spent by Musk would barely affect his walking-around money.
We must get rid of RCV. Our election process is a mess. To many “Alaskans” believed to adds from the out-side
money people. I believe we will win, the people saw how screwed up it was, with the counting taken so long!
Let’s give it another bill and get the job done.
I’m ready to sign and help with the new effort.
Unbelievable that some “Republicans” just turned in an initiative of their own to remove ranked choice voting also. What is going on? Why do they not want to get behind Phil Izon when the end goal is the same?
Where do I sign.
Alaskan issues that never get resolved, but should:
– The amount of the annual PFD
– The purpose of the Permanent fund
– The Alaska LNG project and/or gasline
– Deciding how to keep Anchorage warm for the next 40 years
– Deciding where to house the homeless every winter
– Eagle Exit, and
– Ranked Choice Voting
But at least all the back-and-forth has some entertainment value!
If it’s really the RCV that is disliked so much and that is what so many want to repeal, why risk failing again by attempting to reinstate party primaries? Just repeal ONLY the RCV. The repeal effort has a much better chance to pass if it is presented as a repeal of only RCV.
You must remove this mess of RCV. It’s no good, expensive, and the money could be used elsewhere that is useful.
Ranked Choice voting has run its course, here in Alaska and nation-wide. It’ll get voted out next time because the pro-Ranked Choice dark money spigot will be shut off. Too much cost for too little a return on their $$$ …
Phil, thank you for you effort. However, too many Alaskans are just too poorly educated or too simple minded to ever understand something as simple as a ballot measure written in plain old every day english. I truly wish this were not true but it has been proven far too often. You cannot fix stupid, you cannot make stupid smart. The end.
The fact that the repeal of RCV failed just shows how many mouth breathing morons are wandering around Alaska.
Lisa is the reason we have RCV. Fire Lisa and it will be finished.
Somebody get the two groups in a room, lock the door, and nobody leaves until they are in agreement in ONE ballot measure language. Come on people. The opposition is laughing their heads off! A house divided cannot stand. Check your egos at the door.
Scott Ogan
Exactly! Well said, and thank you Scott!
The new petition language to REMOVE RCV is much better than in the previous, prop 2. I think the previous prop 2 writers intentionally wrote sloppy language to get the result we got. I’m not blaming Izon, but he learned a big lesson I’ll bet…!
We do not get to write the ballot language.
I am curious to know how much involvement can I have in crafting the ballot measure language.
I and many others were not happy with how the ballot measure language was done. I am starting the petition process again and want to make sure that the ballot measure language is very clear for 2026.
Response from Lt. Governor’s Office
Hi Phil, thanks for reaching out.
Under AS 15.45.180(a), the title and summary of an initiative on the ballot is determined by the Lieutenant Governor, with the assistance of the Attorney General. Usually, this is done when an initiative application is certified and the initiative sponsors do not have a role in drafting the language.
Well said Mr. Galt.
RCV = Murkowski Legacy voting. We need a French style revolt in Alaska, where the self-appointed royals have no place to wear their crown about.
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