UAS Evening at Egan Speaker Ben Reilly to present on Ranked Choice Voting September 24

"Ranked choice voting: what is it, how does it work, and will it change Alaskan politics?"

Juneau, Alaska

Date of Press Release: September 21, 2021

The annual fall lecture series Evening at Egan continues this Friday, September 17 at 7 p.m. with a virtual presentation by Political Scientist Professor Benjamin Reilly from the University of Western Australia. In his description, Reilly notes, “Following its adoption by ballot initiative last year, Alaska’s future state and national elections will be held under Ranked Choice Voting, allowing voters to specify not just their favored candidate but also their second, third and fourth choices."

This system is gaining ground across the US and has been used for over a century in Australia, home of Prof. Reilly. He is visiting Juneau for his research and will discuss how Ranked Choice Voting works; its implications for voters, candidates and political parties; and what insights from comparative experience suggests for how the new system may impact Alaskan politics.”

This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic all Evening at Egan events will be offered virtually using Zoom. The full line-up of speakers and registration links is currently live on the Evening at Egan series website. Once registered, a link is provided to the participant. After each event, the lectures are posted to the UAS YouTube channel. These videos can also be accessed on the website, with the button for each lecture changing its label from “free registration” to “watch video.”

Upcoming speakers:

• October 1 - Dr. Elizabeth Graham, Entomologist, USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection: “Western blackheaded budworm: a tiny moth that orchestrates change in an old growth forest”
• October 8 - Wendy F. Smythe, Ph.D., Xáadas: “The Science in Our Stories: Connection To Place, Belonging, and Security For Native Students In STEM Education”
• October 15 - Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson, President, Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska: “The Interrelationships between Tribes, Corporations, and City, State and Federal Governments”
• October 22 - Joel Markis, Associate Professor and Program Director, Applied Fisheries: “Fisheries, Aquaculture and Mariculture in Southeast Alaska”
• October 29 - Dr. Megan Buzby, Associate Professor of Mathematics: “The `Real' World, from One Mathematician's Point of View”
• November 5 - Jason Gootee: “Health Insurance in Alaska – a look at the 2022 environment”
• November 12 - Ronalda Cadiente Brown, Associate Vice Chancellor for Alaska Native Programming and Director of the PITAAS Program: “Alaska Native Success Initiative”
• November 19 - Renee Tl'aagunk Culp, Juvenile Justice Coordinator, Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska: “I too yei yatee - It is within you: Generational Trauma & Resiliency”