In 2020, Alaska voters passed a ballot initiative sponsored by Outside dark money that completely redesigned elections in the state. There’s an open primary and a ranked choice voting general election.
That same scheme now applies to the special election that will be used to get Alaska a representative in Congress now that Congressman Don Young has passed.
The calendar created by Ballot Measure 2 and Congressman Young’s untimely death is difficult.
The governor must declare a date for the special election, between 60 and 90 days from March 18. The earliest practical date is May 24. That means ballots for the special election must be printed by about April 24 and mailed to overseas voters, which means that a filing deadline must be set for about two weeks from now.
But that special election primary will not decide who is the temporary congressional representative for the state.
The top four vote-getters from the special election primary will advance to a special election general election, which would need to be at least 60 days later, to account for ballot printing and overseas distribution.
That special general election would fall at the end of July or early August. Under the Ballot Measure 2 scheme, the election will be a ranked choice voting special election. It could occur around Aug. 2, for example, which is a Tuesday. That date would be about as early as the Division of Elections could work the schedule, considering overseas voters.
But there’s another hitch: Because ranked choice voting can’t be counted right away — all ballots must be received and there are two weeks before overseas ballots would be in, Alaskans won’t know until the middle or end of August who their temporary representative is in Congress.
The reality is this puts the timeframe for electing a temporary congressional representative at about Aug. 16 or even later — possibly even after the regular primary election, which is Aug. 16.
Theoretically, whoever wins the special election for Congress will also want his or her name, along with whoever else wants to run for Congress, on that regular primary ballot on Aug. 16. Also on that primary ballot will be all the other races that are being contested this year — all legislative seats but one, the U.S. Senate race, and governor/lt. governor.
The regular primary election, Aug. 16, can be counted relatively quickly because it is not ranked choice voting, and the top four vote getters will go to the November general election ballot.
To review — an open primary special election, followed by a ranked choice voting special election, during the same week or month as another open primary regular election, followed by a ranked choice voting general election.
The bottom line is that Alaska voters will not have a representative in Congress for at least four months.
The new voting scheme was crafted by Scott Kendall and Jahna Lindemuth, top officers in the administration of Gov. Bill Walker. With money from an outside political group called Unite America, they convinced Alaska voters that this would be an improved system for electing leaders.
But many politicos in Alaska are less than sure that the Division of Elections can conduct so many elections in such a short period of time, especially using a ranked choice voting system never before been used in Alaska, and still convince voters that everything is on the up-and-up with the new system, which only allows for machine counting and no hand-counted audits.
Congratulations Alaska. You bought the con, pushed by Mike Porcaro.
Happy? This gift has just begun to give. Wait til the general elections.
And you did it to yourselves.
Haven’t listened to Porcaro and stoner boy for many months, maybe a year. Took a while to find out his true colors. Just like Halcro and Sterin, radio sellouts.
I remember Mike Porcaro saying on his show that he was in favor of this bill…because we have to do something different to make change.
Mike Porcaro is 100% responsible this passed!!
It is disappointing that Porcaro can be bought. Remember that when listening to his show and his opinions.
I remember Porcaro having Mark Begich on his show when Begich was running for mayor and saying he loved him. He had him on numerous times and is to blame for getting his political career kicked off IMO. He eventually went on to beat out Ted Stevens by only 3000+ votes for the Senate and wound up casting the deciding vote for Obamacare. Great job Porcaro!
They really thought this new voting crap through. The old way worked just fine. What we need is term limits Sense most voters cannot figure out how to vote for what’s best for them and quit listening to all the lies promised to them. Follow the money voters be responsible and help the little guy instead of the rich lower politicatians.
//The new voting scheme was crafted by Scott Kendall and Jahna Lindemuth, top officers in the administration of Gov. Bill Walker. With money from an outside political group called Unite America, they convinced Alaska voters that this would be an improved system for electing leaders.\\
This is what happens when democrats run things.
AFU!
Big contributions came from Represent.US, funded by Jeff Bezos’ mom and the wife of Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer.
Yes and pushed by KENI 650! Mark Begich best friend
Let’s just give it to his daughter. Worked out so well with Lisa…..
The reference to the Mike P radio show above reminds me of when I Use to listen to it. Is is still on? Mikes a busy man and successful. But his endurance has waned as my own has with age. The last I checked it’s seam it’s just filling air time. Discussions of what a lizard has for breakfast or whats happen in baseball 30 years ago is not what made me an AM junkie. It was indeed Mike’s show that made me a junkie back in the day. So interesting I hardly remember my commute to the valley every afternoon. Or I’d sit in my vehicle in the driveway after the commute to listen to the caller at that moment.
Personally, I like to know the weather in Auckland New Zealand
More evil to come, Treason will continue to happen.
Mike P was a big pusher of the rank choice voting, he lost me on that one, Remember Walker FUBARed our PFD, please keep Giesel and Walker out.
Alaska is dominated by outside thinking and interests at the state government level. The corrupted woke rot is imported here from the west coast states.
Ranked choice voting will insure that the lowest of leftwing lowlifes will be in office indefinitely.
Don was re elected for decades and he was one of the most corrupt and incompetent Rino representatives in congress. At least the state union bottom feeding Democrats are open about their goals. Rinos like Don Young are two faced, which is worse.
The upside of ranked choice voting is it will achieve the goal of negating Alaska’s voice without the need to manipulate vote tabulation systems.
We have dominion voting machines. I was told/made to use a sharpie to fill out my ballot but a bic to sign my form in the Pres election in Palmer.
Wake up people.
“……..The new voting scheme was crafted by Scott Kendall and Jahna Lindemuth, top officers in the administration of Gov. Bill Walker……..”
Hopefully this garbage can be quickly repealed like SB91 was.
The more information one gets on the new voting system, the worse it gets. Only San Francisco and New Hampshire use this abomination, as far as I know. And if it does not allow for hand-counted ballots, only machine counting, the opportunity for fraud is rife. Why am I not surprised that it was crafted by Bill Walker’s two lieutenants – Scott Kendall and Jaha Lindemuth? How soon can Alaskans repeal this and still retain a system that requires full accounting of campaign donations, including those of special PACs? Masked Avenger is right, Alaskans did it to themselves, but I refuse to believe that they really knew who and what was behind this. As usual, the so-called press watch dog was either asleep or drugged by their owners.
The big question is precisely when this kicks in. I thought it was targeted for the general election cycle, which starts in August. Someone needs to ask that question. Cheers –
Ranked Choice Voting has nothing to do with the delay in having a Congressional Representative, it is the rules of the State of Alaska. Most states have the Governor appoint an interim representative.
Whether you support RCV or not, you cannot blame it for everything.
The solution Get out and vote.
When I worked elections, there were so many people who didn’t understand primaries. I’m worried about people not knowing how to vote.
Couldn’t be any worse if we just had a lottery for these offices. The state already does it for hunting permits. Add a one term limit, problem solved!
So Many good people were duped by the propaganda paid for by the deep state! We might as well get used to hearing a lot about it-because you’ve been played big time you sleepy Alaskans! And now you’ve legally allowed cheating at the ballot box
Dan Fagan is the only conservative local radio talk show I know of. Of course there’s the MRA podcast.
The damage done by Bill Walker to Alaska, even apart from his dishonesty, continues to amaze and discourage.
This fetid Ranked Choice system needs to be petitioned out at the earliest possible date.
Alaskans chose ranked choice voting because political parties and their closed primaries keep producing extremist candidates who don’t represent the majority. The old system resulted in having to hold your nose when you voted and pick the better of two lousy candidates. Políticos like the publishers of this blog keep attacking rank choices voting because it lessens the power of political parties to control who gets nominated to run. Thus, the tired and discredited claim that ballot measure 2 was funded and promoted by “outsiders” who somehow managed to dupe Alaskans into voting for it. This article and its comments all predict great and terrible problems with rank choices voting before it has even been tried once in an Alaska election. I regularly read complaints in the comments on the blog that Frank Murkowski imposed Lisa Murkowski on us by appointing her when he resigned his Senate seat to become governor. If ballot measure 2 had been the law, he would not have been able to do that. She would have had to run for the Senate to get his seat.
I can tell you haven’t done one iota of research on who exactly promoted and paid for the pushing of this bill. Took me about 5 minutes of on-line research to find that out.
Please give Mike Porcaro and “Krash” (whatever is real name is) a big thanks for passing Rank Choice voting, They must want Lisa M to be reelected
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