The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 30, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Alaska implemented its Top 4 open primary and ranked choice voting system in 2022, after voters approved Ballot Measure 2 in 2020 in a close vote. A right wing ballot measure to repeal it, marred by questionable practices, was upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court on August 22nd will appear on the  November ballot.

We reported in 2022 that over 80% of Alaska voters found ranked choice voting easy to use, and that the open primary system offered many more candidate choices.   It also implemented a “Top 4” Congressional race, where the top four vote-getters advance to the general election, again, in an effort to offer more choice to voters.  Republicans blame the system for the election of Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola.

A group formed to repeal it, Alaskans for Honest Elections, was fined $94,000 in June for violating the state’s dark money disclosure laws, after a nonprofit church organization contributed $90,000.  Pro-RCV Alaskans for Better Elections also questioned the validity of some signatures gathered for the anti-RCV campaign, but the Alaska Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s certification of the signatures last week. 

The measure will now appear on the November 5th ballot.  Do Alaskans like more ballot choices enough to keep open primaries and ranked choice voting?  It’s likely to be a close vote.   We have our past reports and local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Alaska Beacon – Alaska Supreme Court upholds ranked choice repeal initiative, now bound for November vote

BallotPedia – Ballot Measure Which Established Alaska’s Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
BallotPedia – Ballot Measure To Repeal Alaska’s Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative
American Democracy Minute – Fines Upheld for Alaska Pastor Using His Church Organization to Funnel ‘Free Speech’ Money to Political Groups Trying Repeal Ranked Choice Voting
Alaska Division of Elections – Ranked Choice Voting, Explained

Groups Taking Action:
Alaskans for Better Elections, Represent.Us

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RankedChoiceVoting #OpenPrimaries #AlaskaNews

The post Will Alaska Keep Its Open Primaries and Ranked Choice Voting?  An Upcoming Anti-RCV Ballot Initiative is a Critical Test appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 9, 2023

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

Who Can Vote in a State Primary? Well, that Depends on Where You Live and Sometimes Whether You Belong to a Political Party

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

A New Hampshire GOP resolution recently surfaced to “close” its party primary to the state’s unaffiliated voters. What ARE the types of primaries, who can vote in them, and who decides?  Turns out, it’s complicated.

A state’s primary elections are usually governed by state law, but parties, as in New Hampshire, can dictate their own rules.  “Closed primaries” don’t allow any voter not registered with that party to participate.  “Semi-open” primaries, which New Hampshire has currently, allows unaffiliated voters to take either party’s ballot, but a registered Democrat or Republican can only vote in their own party’s primary.

“Open primaries” allow any registered voter to choose their preferred party ballot, and “single ballot open primaries” put all candidates of all parties on a single ballot for all voters to consider.  Open primaries are sometimes used in combination with ranked choice voting, as is being proposed in Nevada and Arizona, and which has been implemented in Alaska for some elections.   The National Conference of State Legislatures also identifies other flavors as well, such as “partially open” and “partially closed.”   

An April 2023 Gallup poll found 49% of Americans now identify as independent voters.  So movements to close primaries to unaffiliated voters have become a headache for party leaders courting independents to support their candidates. More on that in an upcoming report. 

We have more on types of primaries at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.    I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
InDepthNH – GOP Resolution Would Block 320,000 Undeclared NH Voters from Voting in Republican Primaries
BallotPedia – Partisan affiliations of registered voters
Axios – Record number of Americans say they’re politically independent
NPR – The U.S. has a ‘primary problem,’ say advocates who call for new election systems
Open Primaries – Primary Rules in Your State
National Conference of State Legislatures –  State Primary Election Types

Brennan Center for Justice – Shhh, Or Independents Might Actually Get to Vote

Groups Taking Action:
Open Primaries, FairVote, Represent.Us, Unite America

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #OpenPrimaries #LetUsVote #IndependentVoters

The post Who Can Vote in a State Primary? Well, that Depends on Where You Live and Sometimes Whether You Belong to a Political Party appeared first on American Democracy Minute.