The recount in Alaska over Ballot Measure 2 is complete. The state's Republican Party requested it after voters rejected the initiative and chose to keep their nonpartisan election system by a narrow margin. But as predicted on IVN, this margin wasn't narrow enough for the results to change.
election reform
The Alaska election results have officially been certified and despite calls from Measure 2 supporters for a recount of the ballot initiative's loss by 664 votes, the Alaska Division of Elections re-checked its work before certification and found worse news for them.
Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announced this week that taxpayers will foot the bill for a recount of Measure 2, an initiative that sought to repeal Alaska's nonpartisan election system -- but ultimately failed by 664 votes.
Two weeks after Election Day, Alaska voters finally know the fate of their election system. The choice before them was keep the nonpartisan Top 4 primary system with ranked choice voting in the general election or go back to partisan control over elections.
The nonpartisan group Oklahoma United announced Tuesday it has filed a citizen-led constitutional amendment to end closed primaries in the state and implement a nonpartisan primary system open to all voters and candidates.
Can you imagine a Republican winning in an electoral district in which Democrats make up 41% of the registered electorate? Seems farfetched in much of the country. As farfetched as a Democrat winning in a R+10 district.
Election Day was mostly a rough night for election reformers across the board, from primary reform to new voting methods to gerrymandering. However, it would be a mistake to suggest that this means voters are okay with the status quo.
Voters across the US had a chance to change the political landscape in the country forever. In 2024, however, the two major parties were mostly successful at stopping reform to the electoral status quo.
The first victory for election reform Tuesday happened in Washington, DC, where voters passed Initiative 83 to open primaries to independent voters and implement ranked choice voting.
Colorado is used to being a trailblazer in election reform, from vote-by-mail to independent redistricting. However, state voters passed on an opportunity to give voters more choice in taxpayer-funded elections in 2024.