Two polls are out taking a look at Alaska’s Measure 2, which would implement the first “top-four” election system in the United States, and they each find the referendum well ahead in next month’s election. In late September, the pro-Measure 2 group Alaskans for Better Elections released a survey from Claster Consulting that showed it ahead 59-17. Alaska Survey Research publicized numbers on Tuesday that finds Measure 2 winning by a smaller, though still substantial, 51-30 spread.
Measure 2 would require all the candidates for congressional, legislative, and statewide races to face off on one primary ballot, where contenders would have the option to identify themselves with a party label or be listed as “undeclared” or “nonpartisan.” The top four vote-getters would advance to the general election, where voters would be able to rank their choices using instant-runoff voting. Measure 2 would also institute instant-runoff voting for the presidential contest, which would make it only the second state in America besides Maine to do this.
If a majority voted for the referendum, it would go into effect at the start of 2022.
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