Alaska Representative Max Gruenberg (D-Anchorage) has introduced HB 13, to establish a top-two primary system for all partisan office except President. Like the Washington state version, but unlike the California version, write-ins would be permitted in November. Here is the text of the bill. Representative Gruenberg introduced the idea in the previous session of the legislature, but it did not advance.
I’m puzzled as to why a Democrat would introduce such legislation in a Republican-dominated state. Had Top Two been in effect in 2010, the Democrats would have had no candidate on the general election ballot for Governor or Lieutenant Governor. Top Two would mean Top Two Republicans.
We will oppose this measure.
Ditto #2 in Wyoming. The bill number is SF108.
#4, thank you. That bill still isn’t on the legislature’s web page. Who is the sponsor? Is it the same sponsor as in the last session?
A couple of interesting provisions:
Candidates could indicate a preference for a political group. There would be no petitions; and Alaska has quite reasonable filing fees ($100 for statewide office, $30 for district).
In Alaska, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor are nominated independently, but run as a ticket in the general election. Under the proposed legislation, the top gubernatorial vote-getter would choose which of the top 2 lieutenant gubernatorial candidates he wishes to run with.
Unlike Washington, Alaska does not prevent sore losers running in the general election as write-in candidates; in fact it encourages them:
“If a candidate … is not successful in advancing to the general election and wishes to be a candidate in the general election, the candidate may file as a write-in candidate.”
California (and Alaska) should permit write-in candidates in the general election, except bar sore-losers. It should also require significant support (45%) for election in the general election, and hold a runoff if necessary.
The evil “top-two” fascist-socialist conspiracy continues. “Top-two” is a plan to create a single party with a single primary – a one party state as in the old USSR. This will result in the end free elections in America and ultimately, the end of liberty in America.
One primary for all = A one party state
A one party state never has free elections.
A nation without free elections is never free.
“Top-two” means the end of liberty in America.
One ring to rule them all and in the darkness bind them.
The fight is engaged in yet another state. It should be, but is not clear enough: The political/electoral system within the US has been biased towards incumbent officeholders and top-two is more of that. Even successful challengers under top-two are more suited to valuing and protecting their incumbency. It’s the opposite of where we need to go.
There should be a runoff system in every state. In the first round, every voter would be able to vote for as many candidates as they want, which would be equal to the square root of all candidates running. In the runoff, every voter would be able to vote for one candidate.
1. NO primaries.
2. Direct general election ballot access via equal nominating petitions
3. P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
Difficult ONLY for math MORONS stuck in the 1787 DARK AGE.
Political *SCIENCE* has advanced since 1776 — like the science in chemistry, physics, etc. — regardless of armies of political MORONS.