Our election system belongs to the people of Alaska, not to political parties, candidates, special interests, or government officials.

 

On August 20, I had an important discussion with Bronson and looking at Begich platform about Alaska’s election system. We did not agree on every detail, but we found areas where different ideas could be brought together.

 

This election-reform proposal is a combination of ideas presented by Bronson and Begich and ideas I have developed through conversations with Alaskans and my own experience as a candidate.

 

The goal is not to design an election system that benefits Democrats, Republicans, Independents, or any particular candidate.

 

The goal is to build an election system Alaskans can trust for the next 25 years and beyond.

 

1. The People Should Choose Their Candidates

 

Political parties should not determine which candidates voters are allowed to consider.

 

Candidates should have a reasonable path to the ballot by demonstrating genuine public support. One option I support examining is requiring candidates to collect verified signatures, with a reasonable maximum requirement such as 1,000 signatures, depending on the office.

 

The principle is simple:

 

The people should choose their representatives. Political parties should not choose which candidates the people are allowed to vote for.

 

1. Secure Every Ballot

 

Every legitimate vote should be protected.

 

Alaska should maintain voter-verifiable paper ballots or paper records so election results can be independently checked.

 

We should have strong chain-of-custody requirements, secure ballot storage, cybersecurity protections, backup procedures, meaningful election observation, and post-election audits.

 

Election security should never depend simply on asking Alaskans to trust the government.

 

We should build a system that allows Alaskans to verify that it worked.

 

1. Accurate Voter Rolls With Due Process

 

Alaska’s voter rolls should be accurate and regularly maintained.

 

But election integrity also means protecting eligible voters from being improperly removed.

 

When questions arise concerning someone’s registration, voters should receive reasonable notice and an opportunity to correct inaccurate information.

 

We can maintain accurate voter rolls without creating unnecessary barriers for legitimate voters.

 

1. Give Voters a Chance to Correct Ballot Problems

 

A technical mistake should not automatically silence an eligible Alaska voter.

 

When legally permitted and when a correctable problem is discovered with an absentee or mail ballot, the voter should be notified and provided a reasonable opportunity to correct the problem before certification.

 

Election integrity means counting every legally cast ballot, not searching for technical reasons to discard legitimate votes.

 

1. Let Alaskans Track Their Ballots

 

Alaskans voting absentee or by mail should be able to determine whether their ballot was sent, received, and accepted.

 

If there is a correctable problem, the voter should know about it.

 

Technology already allows us to track packages traveling thousands of miles. Surely democracy can manage similar transparency for a ballot.

 

1. Protect Rural Alaska’s Right to Vote

 

Where an Alaskan lives should not determine how difficult it is to vote.

 

Rural communities need dependable polling locations, properly trained election workers, functioning equipment, backup procedures, early and absentee voting opportunities, and reliable technical assistance.

 

Alaska should also examine prepaid return postage for absentee ballots so the cost and availability of postage do not become unnecessary voting barriers.

 

1. Keep Elections Open to Alaska Voters

 

My experience running for office changed my perspective on Alaska’s election system.

 

I believe voters should have a meaningful opportunity to consider candidates regardless of political party.

 

An election system should encourage candidates to speak with all voters, not simply the most partisan members of their own party.

 

Any primary or ranked-choice system should be judged by whether it increases voter choice, maintains election integrity, produces understandable results, and earns public confidence.

 

If something isn’t working, we should improve it.

 

1. End Partisan Gerrymandering

 

Voters should choose their representatives.

 

Representatives should not choose their voters.

 

Alaska’s redistricting process should be transparent, timely, and designed to prevent political manipulation of district boundaries.

 

I support examining reforms that reduce partisan control of redistricting and ensure broad representation in the process, including representation from Alaska’s ballot-qualified political parties.

 

1. Follow the Money

 

Alaskans deserve to know who is spending money to influence their elections.

 

I support stronger campaign-finance transparency, disclosure of the true sources behind political spending, and reforms addressing dark money and excessive special-interest influence.

 

Political speech should remain protected, but political money should not be hidden from the voters it is attempting to influence.

 

10. Address AI, Deepfakes and Future Election Threats

 

Election law must keep pace with technology.

 

Artificial intelligence can now create convincing fake voices, photographs and videos. Over the next 25 years, these technologies will become even more sophisticated.

 

Alaska should establish clear transparency requirements for materially deceptive AI-generated political content while respecting legitimate political speech.

 

Voters have a right to know when something presented as reality has been artificially manufactured.

 

11. Strengthen Ethics and Public Trust

 

Election reform does not end on Election Day.

 

Public confidence also depends on what elected officials do after taking office.

 

We should strengthen transparency and conflict-of-interest rules, restrict improper use of public office for personal financial benefit, address insider trading, and establish reasonable restrictions and cooling-off periods involving lobbying.

 

Public service should mean serving the public.

 

12. Review Major Election Reforms After Two Election Cycles

 

We should stop treating election laws as permanent victories for one political side.

 

When Alaska makes a major change to its election system, we should collect data and evaluate the results after at least two election cycles.

 

Did voter participation improve?

 

Were ballots secure?

 

Were rural communities adequately served?

 

Did voters understand the process?

 

Did the system increase competition?

 

Were legitimate ballots rejected unnecessarily?

 

And most importantly:

 

Do Alaskans trust the results?

 

If the evidence shows that part of the system isn’t working, fix it.

 

Election Security and Voter Access Belong Together

 

We are often told we must choose between secure elections and accessible elections.

 

I reject that choice.

 

We can protect ballots, maintain accurate voter rolls, verify election results, provide transparency, protect rural voting access, give legitimate voters an opportunity to correct mistakes, and make it easier for Alaskans to understand how their elections work.

 

A secure election protects the vote.
An accessible election protects the voter.
A trustworthy election must do both.

 

This plan grew from listening, including my August 20 discussion with Bronson and Begich conversations with Alaskans across political lines, and my own experiences as a candidate.

 

I do not expect every Alaskan to agree with every proposal.

 

I do expect government to listen.

 

My 25-Year Plan is not about designing the next election for one political party.

 

It is about building an election system our children and grandchildren can trust 25 years from now.

 

William Hunt’s 25-Year Plan

 

Not Left. Not Right. Forward, Together.