National Conference of State Legislatures takes tour of election facility in Anchorage June 5, 2025On Thursday morning, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) were given a guided tour of the Alaska Division of Elections facility in Anchorage. More than 30 individuals participated, primarily state lawmakers from 23 states, including Fairbanks delegates Sen. Scott Kawasaki and Rep. Ashley Carrick. One of the topics of discussion on Thursday was the state’s Top Four Primary and Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system, which was implemented in 2022. RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Only the top four candidates who receive the highest number of votes in the primary will appear on the general election ballot. To win, a candidate must receive a majority (50% + 1) of the total votes cast. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes in the first round of counting, additional rounds will continue until a candidate achieves a majority. To help lawmakers better understand how the system works, division officials guided attendees through a mock election using RCV. Questions such as what system the division uses to read RCV ballots, whether voters must rank candidates, and what happens to a ballot if it is not filled out correctly were answered during the demonstration. During the demo, attendees were able to either fill out a paper ballot or vote on a computer tablet. They observed the assistance the division offers to individuals with disabilities and those who need language assistance. The division’s language program translator provided information on how the translation process works and participants were able to listen to the instructions recorded on the voting tablet in the General Central Yup’ik dialect. Attendees also learned how the division handles logistical challenges, considering the vastness of the state, where some communities are remote and only accessible by plane or boat. At the conclusion of the tour Wendy Underhill of NCSL thanked Director Carol Beecher and staff for a fine and thorough presentation, as well as those in attendance. Director Beecher said in response, ” The Division was pleased to be able to participate and help jurisdictions understand how Alaska votes.” On Friday, Director Beecher will participate in a panel discussion titled “The Mechanics and Politics of Ranked Choice Voting.” Beecher will be joined on the panel by Kansas Rep. Pat Proctor and former Alaska Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. Stephen Kirch Public Relations Manager State of Alaska, Division of Elections Director’s Office Phone: (907) 209-6306