Why Should You Vote Against Ranked Choice Voting?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is ranked choice voting, which will be on November’s ballot in several states. Fred Lucas wrote about ranked choice voting in his article published at The Daily Signal. 

According to Lucas, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and the District of Columbia will vote on some type of ranked choice or “jungle primary” that includes ranking the final candidates. Alaskans have enough buyer’s remorse after adopting ranked choice four years ago to have it on the ballot again. Ten states have already banned ranked choice voting.

In most states, supporters and opponents of ranked choice voting don’t break down along traditional party lines. In several states, in fact, both the Democratic and Republican parties oppose the process….

Ranked choice voting has been implemented in marginally different ways in various jurisdictions. Generally, though, voters are asked to rank their first, second, and third choices on the ballot.

If no candidate gets more than 50% to finish in first place, a second round of counting occurs. Gradually, candidates who come in last place after each round are eliminated.

The voter’s second choice will be counted if his or her ballot lists an eliminated candidate as the first choice. More rounds of voting continue until one candidate has a majority.

I am among the Alaskans who do not like ranked choice voting. However, I do not have buyer’s remorse because I voted against it four years ago. It did not sound like a good system to me then, and now I know that it is not a good system. Any system that gives Alaska a liberal representative when two-thirds of the population is conservative is bad for Alaska!

Mary Peltola is a Democrat representing a Republican state, and liberal Republican Lisa Murkowski is our senator – all because of ranked choice voting. Murkowski would have lost in a Republican primary race four years ago if it had not been for ranked choice voting, and Peltola would have never been elected in a majority Republican state.

Only Republicans should be able to choose who will representative their party, and only Democrats should decide who will be their representative. Ranked choice voting is not a fair way to choose who will win elections. People who wish to remain independent or to belong to other parties should have no say in a Republican primary election or a Democrat primary election. This Alaskan will be voting to get rid of ranked choice voting!