YES on 2

Remember in November – YES on 2

Contributed by Senator Mike Shower

Polling has consistently shown a majority of Alaskan’s do not like “Ranked Choice Voting” (RCV). For those who don’t know the facts behind its installation in Alaska I’ll provide some insight.

A few years ago, billionaires and other lower 48 groups spent 10’s of millions of dollars to create a “citizens' Initiative” to put RCV on the ballot. One of their “big” lies was tying “dark money” to the ballot initiative. In essence they said vote for this initiative to get ‘rid’ of dark money in Alaska politics. The ads were dark, scary, and didn’t rid us of dark money!

What they didn’t tell you were a few important points. First, almost all of the money spent on the initiative came from outside the state of Alaska. It wasn’t Alaskan’s or our money being put into this effort. Second, the very people and groups pushing RCV exempted themselves from the law, they can still use all the dark money they want influencing Alaska politics.

You read that right! They are using dark money, right now, spending millions of those lower 48 entities money to convince Alaskans to keep a voting system we don’t like. Why? Here’s the key point. Alaska is a cheap date. They can spend 10 or 20 million to create ballot initiatives here that would cost 100’s of millions in big states like California or Texas. Once successful in pulling a fast one over on Alaskan’s they then use us throughout the lower 48 as the “model” state for passing such laws elsewhere.

Do you remember the soft on crime SB91? How about the automatic voter registration we’re dealing with? Campaign finance reform that would favor left wing candidates? Like RCV these were lower 48 groups using Alaska as a steppingstone for pushing similar laws in the rest of the country. There are more than a dozen states with RCV ballot measures in play right now and the central theme is “Alaskan’s love it”. It works “great up there”! I know this because I talk to legislators in other states, I’ve even testified a few times at their request to explain RCV.

Here’s another thing those pushing RCV won’t tell you. At RCV’s core it's an elegant voter suppression scheme. When I was the State Affairs committee chairman, we had an Ivy League political professor brief us on his report. Perhaps the most comprehensive data dive on RCV to date. He predicted we’d have our lowest voter turnout, certain groups votes would be disenfranchised at a higher rate, and candidates who didn’t get the most total votes would often win.

His report specifically tallied data from around the nation where RCV has or is being used. 4 specific groups of voters are disenfranchised at a significantly higher rate. 1-minorities. 2-senior citizens. 3-English as a second language speakers. 4-those with less than a high school education. Often their disenfranchisement rate could be upwards of 30%. Four of the most vulnerable groups we should be helping to vote are actually being hurt by RCV. Their voices are being lost. In fact, contrary to what RCV proponents claim, over time those groups get fed up with RCV and participate even less.

How’s that for a great system? It’s still a mystery to me why anyone who supports encouraging people to vote can support RCV. It literally does the opposite of increasing voter turnout. It depresses it. Especially among groups who by all measure prefer and need a simpler system. One person one vote? Not with RCV.

The empirical data from our first dance with RCV 2 years ago, for reference, completely validated the predictions of the professor. He was right on all accounts on what would happen here. That takes us to today. Alaskan’s have taken it upon themselves to do what the legislature has failed to do. Repeal RCV. I had a bill for it, but the democrat-controlled senate wouldn’t even have one hearing on it.

So, a citizen’s initiative was started by Alaskans for Honest Elections and others with a grassroots effort of many Alaskans who’ve had enough. They have had to fight legal battles by left wing funded groups trying desperately to keep RCV here. Fortunately, the repeal question has survived the legal challenges and will be on the ballot in November.

Pro RCV groups are still spending millions to convince Alaskans to keep it. Don’t be fooled! They know if Alaska gets rid of RCV it’ll derail their nationwide effort to install this left wing designed voting system elsewhere. Let’s send a clear message to lower 48 big money interest. Get out of Alaska politics. Keep your dark money. We’ll do things our own way.

The right answer is YES on 2 in November. Share the word!