Tomorrow's primary election in Montana was shaped by a backroom deal. @alvanderklipp.bsky.social

Big & little highlights from my travel to OR + AK this month 😊 (As a born midwesterner I don't think the novelty of encountering a lizard in the wild will ever wear off.)

Whether Rep. García in Illinois or Sen. Daines in Montana, last-minute "drop-and-swap" manuevers deny voters a chance to pick from a competitive candidate field. I wrote about how Missouri makes such ploys impossible for @sightline.org: www.sightline.org/2026/05/26/h...

Here's how it went down: Kurt Alme put his name in the running for Senate 8 mins before the deadline. Moments later, sitting Sen. Steve Daines dropped out, and fired off an Alme endorsement alongside Trump. A simple law could prevent future backroom deals. @alvanderklipp.bsky.social

Our housing team is hiring another part time contributor—this one in British Columbia! Help us advance our housing policy work in the province: www.sightline.org/british-colu...

#RankedChoiceVoting allows voters to express nuanced political opinions and back their favorite candidate without spoiling an election for their number two. From @alvanderklipp.bsky.social & @jayleetx.com: Cross-partisan support on Alaska ballots is a feature, not a fluke.

Ranked choice voting elevates candidates who speak to the broadest swath of voters. In the 2022 contests for AK's US House seat, that was Mary Peltola. In 2024, it was Nick Begich. It really is that simple. New analysis of ballot data from myself and @jayleetx.com for @sightline.org below. ⬇️

Since adopting ranked choice voting & other reforms in 2020, Alaska has seen several positive changes: 🗳️Elections are more competitive 🤝Lawmakers are working together 🔢Voters understand & use RCV when it counts Learn more from @sightline.org ⬇️

Ranked choice voting rewards elected officials who work across the aisle to get things done for all voters. At @representwomen.bsky.social's #DemocracySolutionsSummit, Juli Lucky of Alaskans for Better Elections shared how the reform pushed Alaska lawmakers to overcome gridlock and fund education.

Quick "what we know" recap on unified primaries + RCV in Alaska! Expect to publish a few more articles on the subject in the coming months.

My new one @slate.com on Trump's new mail balloting executive order: Sometimes it's the chaos, not the cruelty, that's the point. slate.com/news-and-pol...

The United States Freedom House ratings over time, compared to other countries.

It’s not an #AMA, it’s an #AAA: Ask Al Anything! Our new-to-bsky researcher @alvanderklipp.bsky.social is on deck until 3PT today to answer any Qs you might have on proportional representation. No such thing as a dumb question. DM and we’ll pass it along anonymously.

Good morning Bluesky! I’m @sightline.org researcher Al Vanderklipp, and I’ll be fielding your questions about proportional representation today. Reply to this thread and I’ll do my best to answer anything you want to know. ☺️ #AMA

Proud of this one! We developed an explainer not to describe the mechanics of PR, but to help folks bridge a common gap in understanding between “what is” and “what could be.”