Alabama Veterans Unite for Fair Elections: Elections are the backbone of American government, shaping its course. However, Idaho’s elections have been hijacked by political parties, limiting choices and resulting in lackluster representation. In the 2022 general election, 50 out of 105 state legislative seats in Idaho had no competition, leaving voters with no real choices.
Veterans for Idaho Voters, a group of cross-partisan military veterans, supports the Open Primaries Initiative to bring fairness to Idaho’s electoral process. This initiative proposes a nonpartisan, open primary, and a final four general election. The focus here is on the final four general election, a process that ensures broader voter support for the winner.
Under this initiative, more competition is expected in state Legislature and county races, with two or three candidates advancing from the primary to the general election. For statewide races, like governor or attorney general, four candidates could be on the November ballot.
To ensure the winner has broad support, the initiative calls for an instant runoff, also known as ranked choice voting. This process moves from four candidates to one majority winner, saving time and money compared to traditional runoff elections.
In the instant runoff, voters pick their top candidate and can rank additional candidates in order of preference. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and those votes are reassigned to the voters’ second choice. This continues until two candidates remain, and the one with the most votes wins.
Utah cities have successfully implemented ranked choice voting, finding it better, faster, and cheaper. Six U.S. states, including Alabama, use ranked choice voting for military ballots, showcasing its reliability.
Virginia Republicans utilized ranked choice voting to select Glenn Youngkin as their governor candidate, marking the first Republican victory in a decade.
Alaska’s experience is a testament to the success of open elections. In 2020, Alaskans passed an open primary and top four instant runoff general election, resulting in a more representative government. The final four instant runoff general election increases voter access and candidate competition.
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Opponents of the initiative fear their political interests being threatened by competition. However, access and competition are essential for good governance. We encourage all Idahoans to support the Open Primaries Initiative for a more representative government accountable to its constituents.
Signed, Todd Achilles (Boise) Army veteran, Stan Hall (Boise) Army veteran, George Moses (Boise) Air Force veteran, Rich Stivers (Twin Falls) Army veteran, Randy Worrall (Ashton) Air Force veteran
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How many amendments are in the Alabama Constitution?
Alabama’s existing constitution has been active since 1901 and has undergone nearly 1,000 amendments, featuring outdated language. The proposed restructured state constitution will be named the Constitution of Alabama of 2022 if it receives approval.