The rest of the country should learn from Alaska’s successful ranked-choice voting experiment

Originally published July 12th, 2024 in the Seattle Times. Please click here to see the original publication.

The Alaska State Capitol is shown in Juneau. In Alaska, cooperation in the Legislature across party lines is becoming the norm, the authors write. (Becky Bohrer / AP)

Look at the byline on this opinion piece, and you’ll see something rare in these divided times: A Democrat and a Republican writing together. But in Alaska, where we both serve in the Legislature, cooperation across party lines is becoming the norm, and we think we’ve established a model that would benefit the rest of the country.

It isn’t that Alaskans agree on everything. Political factions have differences of opinion here just as they do everywhere else. But in 2016, we formed a majority coalition in the Alaska House of Representatives made up of legislators committed to working across the aisle for the benefit of our constituents. The coalition of 17 Democrats, three Republicans and two independents took control of the Alaska House after nearly two decades of Republican control. As a member of the House in 2016, Matt joined that majority. While the path forward sometimes seemed uncertain, our political diversity was our strength.

While some thought the 2016 coalition would be an isolated event, majority coalitions have continued to control both the Alaska House and Senate. Both of us are members of the Senate, and we are part of a bipartisan majority coalition of nine Democrats and eight Republicans. The current tri-partisan majority in the House has 20 Republicans, two Democrats and one independent. We are the only coalition majority in the 50 state legislatures.

What does that mean practically? This year, the Legislature came together to pass bipartisan legislation. Examples this year include a crime bill that addressed concerns with fentanyl overdose trends and victims’ rights, a plan for improving energy transmission in Alaska, and insurance coverage for 12-month birth control prescriptions. These bipartisan actions have shown voters that our coalitions are working for the people of Alaska.

Serving in a majority coalition means knowing that many of your teammates have different perspectives on some issues. And on other issues, we have shared values and a common vision. Working together is based on strong personal relationships, focusing on our shared values, and working for the best interests of our state. Building that support takes patience, persistence and recognizing that some proposals are universal while others, no matter how well-intended, will not succeed in our diverse Legislature.

One of the reasons coalitions work so well in Alaska is our voter makeup. According to the Division of Elections, Alaska voters are registered as 24% Republican, 13% Democratic and the rest, over 60%, are small parties or nonpartisan or unaffiliated. Alaska has the highest number of unaffiliated voters in the country and our rates of registered Democrats and Republicans are among the lowest. Legislators across the state recognize the diverse voices in the unaffiliated voters. We recognize the importance of building relationships and working with politicians of any party.

Another reason the “Alaska Model” works so well is our system of open primaries combined with ranked-choice general elections. With strong support from unaffiliated voters, Alaska approved a ballot measure for open primaries and ranked-choice generals in 2020. Voters can “pick one” from the entire list of candidates in the primary, with the top four candidates going forward to the general election, regardless of political affiliation. In the general election, voters can rank their preferences, and a candidate must garner 50%+1 of the vote to win. If no candidate reaches the 50%+1 threshold, then the lowest-ranking candidate is eliminated, and their second-choice votes are distributed. The ranked-choice system encourages civility in our elections because candidates must appeal to all voters, not just a small base that belongs to their party.  In multicandidate races, the system favors candidates who gather second-place votes from other candidates on either side of the political spectrum.

While some people believe this favors one party over another, the effects of ranked-choice voting are apparent in Alaska’s 2022 election results. That year, in the first statewide election using open primary/ranked-choice general election, Alaskans chose a far-right Republican governor, a more moderate Republican for the U.S. Senate and, for the first time in decades, a moderate Democratic Alaska Native woman for the U.S. House.  

State Legislature election results demonstrated that those elected truly reflected their districts, whether very right-leaning, left-leaning or moderate. The open primary also saw more women candidates in 2022 than in the five previous election cycles put together! The Alaska Model gives more opportunity for candidates of diverse backgrounds, who represent the people of Alaska, not just a political party’s anointed candidate.

Alaska is a unique place. Our state was built by pioneers and dreamers who combined independent thinking with a strong commitment to collaboration and community. We believe that spirit of collaboration and open-mindedness can be found in every corner of the country. And we have hope that our model for finding common ground and focusing on shared values and goals can inspire the rest of the country.

Matt Claman: is a Democratic senator representing Anchorage in the Alaska state legislature.

Cathy Giessel: is a Republican senator representing Anchorage in the Alaska state legislature.