Alaska voters will decide whether to repeal the state's 2020 election reforms, including open primaries, ranked choice voting, and campaign finance disclosure rules that expose dark money sources.
The Voter Protection Project, which has backed only Democrats since 2019, joins a coalition of democracy groups supporting independent congressional candidate Bill Hill. This year, Alaska’s top-four election system is also on the ballot, as it faces another attempt to repeal it.
A campaign ad in Alaska claims Ballot Measure 2 would bring back open primaries and reject dark money, but the state already has nonpartisan open primaries that the measure would actually repeal and restrict campaign finance transparency.
Alaska's effort to repeal ranked choice voting would also roll back campaign finance transparency rules, removing disclosure requirements for dark money and out-of-state donations that voters approved in 2020.
CBS News published a headline about Alaska's primary that risks reinforcing false narratives about ranked choice voting being promoted by Trump, but the candidates in question are allowed to run regardless of the voting system used.
Alaska voters will decide whether to repeal their nonpartisan election system, which could allow political parties to shut out 60% of voters registered as independents from participating in primaries.
Alaska is testing a new election system designed to increase competition and deliver better results for voters. As opponents push for repeal, the state's 2026 races show how ranked-choice voting and open primaries are reshaping elections.
Bill Hill finished second in Alaska’s top-four primary and now takes on Republican Rep. Nick Begich III in a ranked-choice general election — while voters simultaneously decide whether to repeal the system that helped put an independent in contention.
Calling for “systemic change,” former Alaska Congresswoman Mary Peltola announced on January 12 that she will run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, setting up one of the most closely watched races in the country. Peltola will challenge incumbent Dan Sullivan in a contest likely to be shaped as much by Al
The Trump administration has proposed reversing a Biden-era policy that barred new oil, gas, and mining development across much of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve (NPR-A), a vast, ecologically and economically significant area roughly the size of Indiana.
Ballotpedia reports this week that in 2026, Alaska’s independent voters will have the chance to solidify their role as election reform pioneers by voting on two initiatives.
