Ranked-choice voting repeal v. Lawfare in Alaska
by Harry Roth
We’ve been tracking the ranked-choice voting repeal ballot measure in Alaska since its early days. And even before qualifying, the effort and its proponents, Phil Izon and Art Mathias, have faced relentless legal attacks aimed at stopping Alaskans from choosing their own fate. Since qualifying, RCV advocates have continued to file frivolous lawsuits, taking the fight all the way to the Alaska Supreme Court.
The lawsuit filed by RCV advocates took aim at the initiative’s signature books in an attempt to have the measure taken off the November ballot. Luckily for Alaska voters, the state Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision allowing Measure 2 to appear before them this November.
Since adopting RCV through a misleading ballot measure in 2020, voters have experienced buyer’s remorse. After being sold a bill of goods by the usual suspects like FairVote and Unite America, they’re are ready to change course and make history as the first state to repeal ranked-choice voting.
RCV advocates are failing to convince voters and legislatures. These lawsuits have been proven to be nothing more than a desperate attempt to silence everyday Alaskans. It makes you wonder. If ranked-choice voting is so great, then why do voters need to be forced to keep it?
Read the full Alaska Supreme Court ruling below.
