(manufactured) Majority: Tales from the 2022 Alaska U.S. Congress Race & U.S. Senate Race Alaska's 1st Use Case of Jungle Primary & Ranked Choice Voting

By Phil Izon

"(manufactured) Majority" by Phil Izon delves into the impacts and implications of jungle primaries and ranked-choice voting (RCV) on political dynamics and election costs, using Alaska's recent electoral reforms as a case study. Here are the key points from the book: 1. Jungle Primaries and Political Parties - Jungle primaries, which are open primaries allowing multiple candidates from any party or no party, often require substantial financial backing for candidates to compete effectively. This shifts reliance towards large donors, potentially marginalizing small donors and grassroots candidates. (48 candidates in the US House race in 2022 Jungle Primary) - The case study of Alaska's 2022 jungle primary illustrates this impact, where combining all Republican candidates' votes (Palin, Begich, Sweeney, Coghill, and Revak) totaled 56.7%. This resulted in strategic manipulations and diminished party influence, with candidates attacking each other more than their opposition, undermining party unity. Results were predictably bad with Mary Peltola winning even though she did not get a majority of the vote. 2. Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) Costs - The implementation of RCV in Alaska significantly increased election costs by 328% compared to previous systems. This surge was attributed to extensive voter education campaigns, updated voting equipment, and complex ballot counting processes. - Detailed analysis indicates that RCV elections consistently incur higher costs due to these factors, questioning the cost-effectiveness of the system 3. Implications for Third-Party Candidates - RCV was expected to benefit third-party candidates by mitigating the "spoiler effect," yet data from Alaska and Maine suggest otherwise. The representation of third-party candidates did not see significant improvement, with the two-party dominance largely remaining intact. The system has not produced reliable data to prove that it helps 3rd parties. In most cases it helps Democrats, even though there are multiple prominent Democrats that oppose the system including the D.C. Democrat Party, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Vice President Walter F. Mondale, and Democrat Washington State Secretary of State. - The system's complexity and voter confusion can lead to ballot exhaustion, where votes for eliminated candidates are not transferred, thus impacting the overall election outcome. 4. Case Study: Alaska's Electoral Changes - The book discusses Alaska's experience with the jungle primary and RCV, highlighting specific elections such as the 2022 US Senate and House races. The results revealed a substantial shift in voter behavior and strategic voting, often leading to unexpected outcomes and potential gaming of the system. 5. Conclusion - While Ranked Choice Voting claims to get a majority, it does not guarantee an absolute majority of all voters who participated. The financial and logistical burdens of implementing RCV, combined with its complex impact on voter behavior and party dynamics, suggest that its benefits may not always outweigh the costs.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0D6R9LJ4Q
• ISBN13: 9798327194519
• Release Date: June 2024
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 127 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.3" x 6.0"