First, this admission: No precise understanding or experience with ranked choice voting in elections is claimed here.

But there is reason to be more than casually interested. For starters, there is the headline election to Congress of a Democrat in the bright red state of Alaska in August where a Republican has served for the last 60 years. It happened in the first ever general election in Alaska using ranked choice voting, and much of the fallout of that race has been focused, you guessed it, on ranked choice voting.

At the same time, the Wyoming Legislature is examining a possible change in the way elections are conducted in this state, with ranked choice voting as one of the options being explored. 

The Legislature’s Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee met in Cheyenne after the Aug. 16 Wyoming Primary Election and began deliberations on potential changes in Wyoming election law. The headline theme was a desire to improve primary elections. Ranked choice voting was not the only suggestion on the table. The committee heard testimony in favor of open primary elections to replace party primaries. In an open primary, candidates of all parties compete on the same ballot with the top vote-getters moving on to the general election. It is important to understand the Legislature is only at the front end of election law reform. The committee hearing shows simply an inclination to begin the process. Nothing may follow in the form of bills before the next session, though the committee did ask to have two draft bills prepared for further consideration.

They are a draft  bill to stage open primaries statewide and a draft bill to consider ranked choice voting in a limited way — in municipal elections only. The committee will take a second look at each in draft form before deciding to take either to the full Legislature. 

It is, as it should be, a proper, go-slow consideration by the legislative committee. Some hesitancy was spoken, in particular, about ranked choice voting out of a belief that voters don’t understand how it works.  

The same is being said in Alaska after its debut with ranked choice this month. Alaska is one of only two states using ranked choice voting in congressional elections. Voters “may” rank their preferences after their top pick, but they are not required to do so.

In Alaska’s August special election, the two Republican candidates on the ballot received almost 60% of first place votes (Sarah Palin 31% and Nick Begich 28.5%), while the winning Democrat Mary Peltola was the top choice of 40% of voters. 

Because no candidate received more than 50% to claim a first round win, the candidate with the least first place votes (Begich) was eliminated. In a second tabulation, Begich voters’ second choices were distributed, and Peltola won enough of them to defeat Palin by about three points.  

Confusing? Perhaps for voters the first time around. 

On the other hand, proponents say it more faithfully reflects how each candidate appeals to the broader electorate.

And we’ll know more in November. The August election was a special runoff for a term of only months after the death of Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. The same cast of candidates for U.S. House is on the ballot in Alaska’s November general election for a full term, and ranked choice may be the decider.