Anchorage voters to decide fate of Alaska election reforms in November

Anchorage residents will vote on November 3, 2026, on whether to undo the state's current election system. Ballot Measure 2 asks voters to repeal the reforms adopted in 2020. If the repeal passes, the state will return to traditional partisan primaries and single-choice ballots. This is the third time Alaskans have voted on this specific set of changes. The original reforms passed by a narrow margin in 2020 and survived a recall effort in 2024.

The measure targets three main components of the current law. First, it eliminates ranked choice voting. Under the repeal, voters would mark only one candidate per race instead of ranking multiple choices. Second, it ends the nonpartisan open primary. Political parties would regain control over their primary ballots. Party bylaws would determine whether voters must be registered with that party to participate, or if unaffiliated and independent voters could also vote in that specific primary. Third, the repeal removes a transparency rule known as true source disclosure. This rule currently requires political groups to identify the origin of donations over $2,000.

The true source rule is designed to track money that passes through intermediary groups before reaching a campaign. Without this rule, the public might only see the name of the intermediary, not the individual or entity behind the donation. For example, the Yes on 2 campaign received $1.5 million from Elon Musk. This contribution was made through Aurora Action Network. The current disclosure rules allow voters to see Musk as the true source. Proponents of the repeal argue that the current system is confusing and leads to public distrust in results. They also note that many Republicans want a partisan primary to select their candidate in August, rather than relying on the nonpartisan field.

Money has played a major role in this debate. The No on 2 campaign, which defends the current system, has raised over $10 million as of the start of October. Major donors include Michael Bloomberg and Kathryn Murdoch. The Repeal Now campaign has raised $2.6 million. Most of that funding comes from Elon Musk, though the group has also received contributions from local Alaska Republicans and business owners. Anchorage attorney Scott Kendall, who helped design the 2020 reforms, argues that the open primary reduces the influence of party leaders. He states that the top-four format gives general election voters more meaningful options than a traditional two-party race.

The issue of ballot stacking has also entered the conversation. Critics argue that the current system allows multiple candidates from the same party to advance to the general election, splitting the vote. President Donald Trump and Governor Mike Dunleavy have cited the system as a reason for crowded fields in recent races. Kendall counters that third-party candidates have always posed a spoiler threat and that ranked choice voting acts as an instant runoff to solve that problem. If the repeal fails again, advocates say they will likely try to put the issue back on the ballot for the 2028 election, provided they can gather enough signatures.

Voters in Anchorage and across the state will see these questions on their ballots in early November. The outcome will determine whether Alaska keeps its unique election structure or returns to the traditional model used in most other states. The next statewide election is scheduled for two years from now.