Alaska Will Record Ranked Ballots As Palin Attempts A Political Comeback

The race for Young’s seat is the first ranked-choice election in Alaska. A wrench was thrown in the process when Al Gross, an independent candidate who had been endorsed by Democrats in a 2020 Senate race, advanced to the top four but dropped out of the race shortly after. Alaska election officials removed him from the ballot, leaving only three candidates: Peltola, Palin and Republican Nick Begich III, the scion of a prominent Alaska Democratic family. This limitation of choices simplified the ranking system. Rather than potentially having to eliminate two candidates and record the second- and third-place choices of those candidates’ supporters, Alaska only has to eliminate one: Begich, who received 28 percent of the vote in the Aug. 16 election against Peltola’s 40% and Palin’s 31%. %. Alaska elections are largely conducted by mail, and because some votes come from remote areas not connected by road systems, the state allows an extra 10 days for ballots to arrive and be counted. At 4 p.m. local time — or 8 p.m. ET — the Alaska Department of Elections on Wednesday will conduct selection rankings to see which candidate will receive the second-place votes of those who supported Begich. The polling station plans to live-stream its tabling, which will last only a few minutes as it is conducted on a computer. “Alaskans are a pretty smart bunch. We’ve elected independent governors, write-in U.S. senators. We’re used to elections looking a little different than most places,” said Jason Green, a former independent member of the state legislature. who is now the executive director of Alaskans for Better Elections, a group that pushed for the ranked-choice voting system. He was referring to former Gov. Bill Walker, an independent running again this year against Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who in 2010 lost the Republican Senate primary to tea party candidate Joe Miller, but then won the November general election as a write-in candidate. “Opening up primaries, allowing voters to choose who they want regardless of party affiliation, combined with ranked-choice voting — they were really two different approaches that allow voters to have more power and have a stronger voice,” Green said. “They like to vote for the face, not the party.” The race for the late Young’s former seat has been viewed nationally through the lens of an attempted political comeback by Palin, who in 2008 became the Republican vice presidential nominee and, after losing, resigned in 2009 midway through her lone term in office. governor’s office. He has not run for office since. However, in Alaska, the most important factor in the race was Gross’ retirement. That funneled Democratic support to Peltola, a well-known former state lawmaker and salmon advocate who is running to become the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. Peltola has a warm personal relationship with Palin and was also close to Young’s family. Her father taught school with Young before the longtime member of Congress was first elected after the 1972 disappearance of the plane of Nick Begich, the Democratic House congressman and Begich III’s grandfather. Her campaign has capitalized on the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, with Peltola touting her support for abortion rights on the campaign trail. Palin’s hopes, meanwhile, depend largely on Republican voters listing the two Republican candidates first and second on their list of choices. It would take more to be the second choice among more than two-thirds of the voters who ranked Begić first. However, all three candidates will get another shot at the House seat in November. On Aug. 16 — the same day voters cast their classified ballots in the congressional special election — they also held the November general election primary for a full term in the House. Peltola, Palin and Begich were the top three finishers. Joining them as the fourth choice on the November ballot is Tara Sweeney, a Republican who could also be the first Alaska Native to be elected to Congress. Sweeney is backed by the state’s powerful domestic corporations, but she garnered only a small share of the vote at 4 percent compared to Peltola’s 37 percent, Palin’s 30 percent and Begic’s 26 percent in those primaries.

title: “Alaska Will Record Ranked Ballots As Palin Attempts A Political Comeback Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-30” author: “Beverly Schwarz”

The race for Young’s seat is the first ranked-choice election in Alaska. A wrench was thrown in the process when Al Gross, an independent candidate who had been endorsed by Democrats in a 2020 Senate race, advanced to the top four but dropped out of the race shortly after. Alaska election officials removed him from the ballot, leaving only three candidates: Peltola, Palin and Republican Nick Begich III, the scion of a prominent Alaska Democratic family. This limitation of choices simplified the ranking system. Rather than potentially having to eliminate two candidates and record the second- and third-place choices of those candidates’ supporters, Alaska only has to eliminate one: Begich, who received 28 percent of the vote in the Aug. 16 election against Peltola’s 40% and Palin’s 31%. %. Alaska elections are largely conducted by mail, and because some votes come from remote areas not connected by road systems, the state allows an extra 10 days for ballots to arrive and be counted. At 4 p.m. local time — or 8 p.m. ET — the Alaska Department of Elections on Wednesday will conduct selection rankings to see which candidate will receive the second-place votes of those who supported Begich. The polling station plans to live-stream its tabling, which will last only a few minutes as it is conducted on a computer. “Alaskans are a pretty smart bunch. We’ve elected independent governors, write-in U.S. senators. We’re used to elections looking a little different than most places,” said Jason Green, a former independent member of the state legislature. who is now the executive director of Alaskans for Better Elections, a group that pushed for the ranked-choice voting system. He was referring to former Gov. Bill Walker, an independent running again this year against Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who in 2010 lost the Republican Senate primary to tea party candidate Joe Miller, but then won the November general election as a write-in candidate. “Opening up primaries, allowing voters to choose who they want regardless of party affiliation, combined with ranked-choice voting — they were really two different approaches that allow voters to have more power and have a stronger voice,” Green said. “They like to vote for the face, not the party.” The race for the late Young’s former seat has been viewed nationally through the lens of an attempted political comeback by Palin, who in 2008 became the Republican vice presidential nominee and, after losing, resigned in 2009 midway through her lone term in office. governor’s office. He has not run for office since. However, in Alaska, the most important factor in the race was Gross’ retirement. That funneled Democratic support to Peltola, a well-known former state lawmaker and salmon advocate who is running to become the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. Peltola has a warm personal relationship with Palin and was also close to Young’s family. Her father taught school with Young before the longtime member of Congress was first elected after the 1972 disappearance of the plane of Nick Begich, the Democratic House congressman and Begich III’s grandfather. Her campaign has capitalized on the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, with Peltola touting her support for abortion rights on the campaign trail. Palin’s hopes, meanwhile, depend largely on Republican voters listing the two Republican candidates first and second on their list of choices. It would take more to be the second choice among more than two-thirds of the voters who ranked Begić first. However, all three candidates will get another shot at the House seat in November. On Aug. 16 — the same day voters cast their classified ballots in the congressional special election — they also held the November general election primary for a full term in the House. Peltola, Palin and Begich were the top three finishers. Joining them as the fourth choice on the November ballot is Tara Sweeney, a Republican who could also be the first Alaska Native to be elected to Congress. Sweeney is backed by the state’s powerful domestic corporations, but she garnered only a small share of the vote at 4 percent compared to Peltola’s 37 percent, Palin’s 30 percent and Begic’s 26 percent in those primaries.

title: “Alaska Will Record Ranked Ballots As Palin Attempts A Political Comeback Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-10” author: “Lorraine Robinson”

The race for Young’s seat is the first ranked-choice election in Alaska. A wrench was thrown in the process when Al Gross, an independent candidate who had been endorsed by Democrats in a 2020 Senate race, advanced to the top four but dropped out of the race shortly after. Alaska election officials removed him from the ballot, leaving only three candidates: Peltola, Palin and Republican Nick Begich III, the scion of a prominent Alaska Democratic family. This limitation of choices simplified the ranking system. Rather than potentially having to eliminate two candidates and record the second- and third-place choices of those candidates’ supporters, Alaska only has to eliminate one: Begich, who received 28 percent of the vote in the Aug. 16 election against Peltola’s 40% and Palin’s 31%. %. Alaska elections are largely conducted by mail, and because some votes come from remote areas not connected by road systems, the state allows an extra 10 days for ballots to arrive and be counted. At 4 p.m. local time — or 8 p.m. ET — the Alaska Department of Elections on Wednesday will conduct selection rankings to see which candidate will receive the second-place votes of those who supported Begich. The polling station plans to live-stream its tabling, which will last only a few minutes as it is conducted on a computer. “Alaskans are a pretty smart bunch. We’ve elected independent governors, write-in U.S. senators. We’re used to elections looking a little different than most places,” said Jason Green, a former independent member of the state legislature. who is now the executive director of Alaskans for Better Elections, a group that pushed for the ranked-choice voting system. He was referring to former Gov. Bill Walker, an independent running again this year against Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who in 2010 lost the Republican Senate primary to tea party candidate Joe Miller, but then won the November general election as a write-in candidate. “Opening up primaries, allowing voters to choose who they want regardless of party affiliation, combined with ranked-choice voting — they were really two different approaches that allow voters to have more power and have a stronger voice,” Green said. “They like to vote for the face, not the party.” The race for the late Young’s former seat has been viewed nationally through the lens of an attempted political comeback by Palin, who in 2008 became the Republican vice presidential nominee and, after losing, resigned in 2009 midway through her lone term in office. governor’s office. He has not run for office since. However, in Alaska, the most important factor in the race was Gross’ retirement. That funneled Democratic support to Peltola, a well-known former state lawmaker and salmon advocate who is running to become the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. Peltola has a warm personal relationship with Palin and was also close to Young’s family. Her father taught school with Young before the longtime member of Congress was first elected after the 1972 disappearance of the plane of Nick Begich, the Democratic House congressman and Begich III’s grandfather. Her campaign has capitalized on the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, with Peltola touting her support for abortion rights on the campaign trail. Palin’s hopes, meanwhile, depend largely on Republican voters listing the two Republican candidates first and second on their list of choices. It would take more to be the second choice among more than two-thirds of the voters who ranked Begić first. However, all three candidates will get another shot at the House seat in November. On Aug. 16 — the same day voters cast their classified ballots in the congressional special election — they also held the November general election primary for a full term in the House. Peltola, Palin and Begich were the top three finishers. Joining them as the fourth choice on the November ballot is Tara Sweeney, a Republican who could also be the first Alaska Native to be elected to Congress. Sweeney is backed by the state’s powerful domestic corporations, but she garnered only a small share of the vote at 4 percent compared to Peltola’s 37 percent, Palin’s 30 percent and Begic’s 26 percent in those primaries.

title: “Alaska Will Record Ranked Ballots As Palin Attempts A Political Comeback Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-30” author: “Ileana Brewington”

The race for Young’s seat is the first ranked-choice election in Alaska. A wrench was thrown in the process when Al Gross, an independent candidate who had been endorsed by Democrats in a 2020 Senate race, advanced to the top four but dropped out of the race shortly after. Alaska election officials removed him from the ballot, leaving only three candidates: Peltola, Palin and Republican Nick Begich III, the scion of a prominent Alaska Democratic family. This limitation of choices simplified the ranking system. Rather than potentially having to eliminate two candidates and record the second- and third-place choices of those candidates’ supporters, Alaska only has to eliminate one: Begich, who received 28 percent of the vote in the Aug. 16 election against Peltola’s 40% and Palin’s 31%. %. Alaska elections are largely conducted by mail, and because some votes come from remote areas not connected by road systems, the state allows an extra 10 days for ballots to arrive and be counted. At 4 p.m. local time — or 8 p.m. ET — the Alaska Department of Elections on Wednesday will conduct selection rankings to see which candidate will receive the second-place votes of those who supported Begich. The polling station plans to live-stream its tabling, which will last only a few minutes as it is conducted on a computer. “Alaskans are a pretty smart bunch. We’ve elected independent governors, write-in U.S. senators. We’re used to elections looking a little different than most places,” said Jason Green, a former independent member of the state legislature. who is now the executive director of Alaskans for Better Elections, a group that pushed for the ranked-choice voting system. He was referring to former Gov. Bill Walker, an independent running again this year against Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who in 2010 lost the Republican Senate primary to tea party candidate Joe Miller, but then won the November general election as a write-in candidate. “Opening up primaries, allowing voters to choose who they want regardless of party affiliation, combined with ranked-choice voting — they were really two different approaches that allow voters to have more power and have a stronger voice,” Green said. “They like to vote for the face, not the party.” The race for the late Young’s former seat has been viewed nationally through the lens of an attempted political comeback by Palin, who in 2008 became the Republican vice presidential nominee and, after losing, resigned in 2009 midway through her lone term in office. governor’s office. He has not run for office since. However, in Alaska, the most important factor in the race was Gross’ retirement. That funneled Democratic support to Peltola, a well-known former state lawmaker and salmon advocate who is running to become the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. Peltola has a warm personal relationship with Palin and was also close to Young’s family. Her father taught school with Young before the longtime member of Congress was first elected after the 1972 disappearance of the plane of Nick Begich, the Democratic House congressman and Begich III’s grandfather. Her campaign has capitalized on the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, with Peltola touting her support for abortion rights on the campaign trail. Palin’s hopes, meanwhile, depend largely on Republican voters listing the two Republican candidates first and second on their list of choices. It would take more to be the second choice among more than two-thirds of the voters who ranked Begić first. However, all three candidates will get another shot at the House seat in November. On Aug. 16 — the same day voters cast their classified ballots in the congressional special election — they also held the November general election primary for a full term in the House. Peltola, Palin and Begich were the top three finishers. Joining them as the fourth choice on the November ballot is Tara Sweeney, a Republican who could also be the first Alaska Native to be elected to Congress. Sweeney is backed by the state’s powerful domestic corporations, but she garnered only a small share of the vote at 4 percent compared to Peltola’s 37 percent, Palin’s 30 percent and Begic’s 26 percent in those primaries.