EXPLAINER: How Alaska's unique new election system works

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Tuesday, January 25th, 2022 7:57am

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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska elections will be held for the first time this year under a voter-backed system that scraps party primaries and uses ranked choice voting in general elections.

The Alaska Supreme Court last week upheld the new system that calls for an open primary in which all candidates for a given race appear, regardless of party affiliation.

The general election will be done with ranked choice voting.

No other state conducts its elections with that same combination.

It’s an experiment aimed at getting candidates to appeal to a broader range of voters.

Supporters hope it will help encourage civility and cooperation among elected officials.

Some critics say it could dilute the power of political parties.

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