Ranked voting gives voters better choices

Juneau’s ballot processing center. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)

By Emily A Kane

Alaskans have voted, twice, for ranked choice voting (RCV) because, despite disparaging opinions by some naysayers, it is a better tool for electing the best candidate — rather than shoehorning voters into ideological boxes. Alaska has the highest percentage of independent voters of any state. We Alaskans don't like to be pigeon-holed. RCV functions as a runoff election to ensure the candidate with the most support wins — without the time and expense of a whole separate election.  

We have adopted RCV at the state level and it has worked well. Voting for RCV in our municipal elections will bring us into line with what's already happening at the state level. It is not a more expensive way to run elections, although in tight races it may take a few more days for verification. That is true of any tight race, and the delay is to ensure overseas absentee votes — primarily from deployed military members — have their votes counted. 

Some critics say that RCV is "complicated." It's actually pretty simple: Imagine it's time for dessert and you have a choice of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and pistachio ice cream. Which flavor do you like best? That's your first choice, obviously. Would you settle for your second choice? If yes, great, list your second choice also. If there is no way you would vote for any other ice cream flavor (or candidate) on the roster — no problem. You can stop with your favorite. You can stop at two. You can list up to four candidates in order of preference. This is not complicated.  

One of my favorite aspects of RCV is that it renders elections so much more civil. We really could use more civility in our public discourse right now. If a candidate rightly figures they won't be everyone's first choice, and would be happy to get your second-choice vote, they are less likely to run negative advertising against their "opponent" who might be your first choice. Thus candidates are incentivized to reach out to all voters. 

All told RCV has shown, on a state and municipal stage, that it creates a higher likelihood of getting problem-solvers elected rather than people who just want to stoke division and conflict. We want to vote for the best candidate regardless of political party, because the best candidate's loyalty will be to the people of Alaska.

Emily A Kane is a 32-year Juneau resident and recently retired naturopathic physician.