NOTN- City Officials said the next Juneau Assembly meeting on Monday featured lively discussion on ranked choice voting, a proposal that has drawn significant public comment.
The ordinance was discussed back in August and residents have been vocal about the topic.
Ranked choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one. “If your top choice doesn’t win, your vote still counts for your second choice,” said Deputy City Manager Robert Barr, “That’s the argument for ranked choice voting.”
Mayor Beth Weldon said Tuesday that the city will not move forward with adopting ranked-choice voting for municipal elections, following significant public testimony and a divided response from residents.
Although last night’s agenda was relatively light, Weldon said the proposed voting change drew the most attention.
“Ultimately, Ms. Atkinson tabled this indefinitely, which in one sense kind of kills it for a while,” Weldon said. “There are reasons for and against in in our emails that we got, there’s definitely people on both sides.”
Residents opposed to adopting ranked-choice voting cited concerns about cost, delays in results, and a desire to maintain what they described as a simpler system. Those who supported the change argued that it encourages more candidates to run and reduces fears of splitting the vote.
Juneau will continue using its current municipal voting system, while Alaska’s statewide ranked-choice system remains in effect, though repeal efforts are ongoing.
