With America's democratic experiment mired in division and dysfunction, the state of Alaska votes to revolutionize their election system. The surprising results spark new alliances, a growing call for election reform, and fierce pushback from political parties. Could changing how Americans vote also change politics for the better?
In this feature documentary, Alaska is gearing up to do something that no other state has ever done: Adopting a pair of election reforms that will eliminate traditional party primaries and allow voters to rank their candidates by preference.
Just as election workers, citizens, and politicians are beginning to adapt to this new system, the state's longest-serving Congressman unexpectedly dies, creating an open seat and prompting a special election that will test this system months earlier than expected. As dozens of candidates -- including former Governor Sarah Palin -- jump into the race for the highly coveted seat, everyone must learn how these new voting reforms will change the rules of campaigning and winning. The surprising outcome in that special election leads to a groundswell of support for election reform in other states and fierce pushback from political parties and partisans, just as the Alaska general election gets underway.
Veteran political documentary filmmaker AJ Schnack (Convention, Kurt Cobain: About a Son) returns to the campaign trail asking whether these new Alaska reforms, an all-candidate open primary and an instant runoff general election, might be a prescription for what ails the American democratic experiment. Traveling across the country, Schnack and his crew interview reform supporters and opponents, looking at where these reforms are already in place and where they may soon be adopted. The resulting film answers 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 our entire system for the better?
Lisa Ayrault, Executive Director of FairVote Washington, will be present for a discussion after the film. Lisa Ayrault first learned about ranked-choice voting more than 30 years ago, when she taught a lesson to her middle school students about the mathematics of voting. Lisa holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Stanford University. She and her husband spent two years as Peace Corps volunteers in Niger, Africa. Living under a military dictatorship impressed upon her the imperative to be an active steward of our democracy.
Directed by AJ Schnack
Starring Lisa Murkowski, Sarah Palin
United States | English | 2024 | Political Documentary | 92 minutes | NR
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