Senior Fellow, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute
Please note: The film screening is in‐person only and will not be livestreamed. Registration is required to attend.
In 2020, Alaska voters adopted a combination of pioneering election reforms that eliminated traditional party primaries and empowered voters in the general election to rank candidates by preference. The unexpected death of the state’s long-serving congressman then prompted an open-seat special election that would test this system months earlier than planned. As dozens of candidates—including former Governor Sarah Palin—jumped into the race for the coveted seat, there were surprising outcomes amid fierce pushback from political parties and partisans. Next month, voters in five states will consider versions of Alaska-style reform.
Veteran documentary filmmaker AJ Schnack and his crew interviewed reform supporters and opponents, looking at what each side considers its strongest arguments. The resulting film helps answer two of our nation’s most pressing questions: How did the American electoral system become so dysfunctional, and can changes to how we vote change things for the better?
