Alaska will elect its first candidate using ranked choice voting on Aug. 16

Kim Jarrett | The Center Square

July 18, 09:00 AM July 18, 09:00 AM

(The Center Square) — Alaska voters will face a full slate of candidates in the Aug. 16 primaries and will also decide who will serve in the U.S. House of Representatives for the rest of 2022.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Nick Begich, both Republicans, and Democrat Mary Peltola were the last three standing in a crowded June mail in-election to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Don Young, who died in March.

The winner of the race will serve out the remaining months of Young's term.

A separate primary to decide who will fill the seat for a two-year congressional term beginning in January is also on the Aug. 16 ballot. Palin, Begich and Peltola are also among 22 candidates hoping to be among the four that will advance to the general election.

Also on the primary ballot is Republican Tara Sweeney. She came in fifth place in the June special election and petitioned to take the fourth spot on the Aug. 16 ballot after Al Gross dropped out of the race. A judge agreed with the Division of Elections that the law does not allow a fifth place candidate on the ballot even if a candidate withdraws.

Ten candidates are hoping to unseat Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who is running for his second term. The candidates include his predecessor, Bill Walker, a former Republican who is running as an independent. Former state lawmaker Les Gara, a Democrat, Republicans Charlie Pierce, Jim Cottrell, David Haeg, Christopher Kurka and Bruce Walden are also on the ballot. John Howe, a member of the Alaska Independence Party, William Nemec II who is running as an independent candidate and Libertarian William Tolen round out the ballot.

Ranked choice voting was approved by Alaska voters in 2020 by a narrow margin. The method has been criticized by some, including former President Donald Trump who called a "rigged deal" during a recent stop in Alaska, according to Alaska Public Media. Members of the House Republican Caucus said in March the ballot measure was "misguided and shortsighted."

FairVote, a group that has advocated for ranked choice voting for 30 years, said exit polling in cities that use the method show that voters like it.

"To be elected, candidates must receive a majority, which may include 2nd-choice support," the organization said in analysis. "This doesn’t support a particular political outcome; it benefits candidates who build consensus beyond a narrow base, regardless of whether they’re conservative, moderate, or liberal. In Alaska, recent polling suggests that no candidate will receive a majority of 1st-choice support, and candidates will need 2nd-choice support to win."

Early voting for the Aug. 16 primary begins at regional offices on Aug. 6 and the first absentee ballots will be mailed July 22, according to the Division of Elections.