Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (August 2002)

Alaska Ballot Measure 1
Election date August 27, 2002
Topic Ranked-choice voting
Status Defeated
Type Indirect initiated state statute	Origin Citizens

Alaska Ballot Measure 1 was on the ballot as an indirect initiated state statute in Alaska on August 27, 2002. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported this ballot initiative to:  establish ranked-choice voting, also referred to as preferential voting, for primaries, general elections, and special elections for state legislative, congressional, and presidential elections in Alaska; authorize local governments and school boards to adopt ranked-choice voting.

A "no" vote opposed this ballot initiative to establish ranked-choice voting for state legislative, congressional, and presidential elections in Alaska.

Aftermath

Alaska Ballot Measure 2

See also: Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)

In 2020, voters approved Ballot Measure 2, which enacted a top-four ranked-choice voting system that combines top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting general elections.

Election results

Alaska Ballot Measure 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		39,666	36.27%
No		69,683	63.73%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Ballot Measure 1 was as follows:

“

BALLOT MEASURE NO. 1 99 PRVT INITIATIVE IMPLEMENTING ALTERNATIVE VOTING ELECTORAL SYSTEM This bill enacts preferential voting for state and federal elections, except governor. Voters would rank one to five candidate choices per office. A candidate who receives a majority of first choice votes would be elected. If no candidate gets a majority vote, the candidate with fewest first choice votes is defeated. Then, remaining candidates receive the next choice votes of voters whose first choice candidate was defeated. This process continues until one candidate gets a majority of the combined votes. In a primary election, a voter may only rank candidates within one party. Shall this initiative become law?

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Alaskans for Voters Rights, also known as Yes on Measure 1, led the campaign in support of Ballot Measure 1.

Supporters

Former Officials

• Attorney General John Havelock (D)

Political Parties

• Alaskan Independence Party
• Green Party of Alaska
• Libertarian Party of Alaska
• Republican Party of Alaska

Organizations

• FairVote

Opposition

Opponents

Political Parties

• Democratic Party of Alaska

Organizations

• League of Women Voters of Alaska

Path to the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in Alaska

An indirect initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. While a direct initiative is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiative is first presented to the state legislature. Legislators have a certain number of days, depending on the state, to adopt the initiative into law. Should legislators take no action or reject the initiative, a second round of signatures is required to put the initiative on the ballot for voters to decide.

See also

2002 Measures

• 2002 Measures
• Ranked-choice voting on the ballot
• 2002 legislative sessions

Alaska

• Alaska ballot measures
• Alaska ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Initiative 99PRVT (2000)