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Alaska Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Campaign Contribution Limits in Ballot Measure

• Alaskans are poised to reinstate individual campaign donation limits, approving a ballot measure by a decisive 3-to-1 margin in early results. • The measure sets new caps at $2,000 per donor per election cycle for candidates and $4,000 for political groups, with adjustments for inflation. • The initiative directly responds to a 2021 federal court ruling that struck down the state's previous $500 limit, creating an era of unlimited donations. • If finalized, the new limits will take effect after the November general election, following Governor Mike Dunleavy's veto of similar legislation this year.

Alaska voters have delivered a powerful mandate to curb the influence of money in state politics, with early election results showing a ballot measure to reinstate campaign contribution limits passing by an overwhelming margin of roughly three to one. The decisive vote signals a clear public rebuke of the current system, which has allowed unlimited individual donations since a 2021 federal appeals court ruling. The approved initiative, Ballot Measure 2, establishes a $2,000 cap on individual contributions to a candidate per two-year election cycle and raises the limit for contributions from political groups to $4,000. Crucially, these limits will be adjusted for inflation every ten years, a provision designed by sponsors to withstand future legal challenges. The measure directly overturns the consequences of the 2021 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision, which invalidated Alaska's previous voter-approved annual limit of $500 as unconstitutionally low, leading to a surge in five- and six-figure donations. Proponents, including a bipartisan coalition of reformers, argued that the absence of caps gave wealthy donors undue influence and increased risks of corruption. "Unlimited money drowns out the voices of everyday Alaskans," stated one sponsor, emphasizing the measure's intent to restore public trust. Opponents, including Governor Mike Dunleavy who vetoed identical legislation from the state legislature earlier this year, counter that such limits could channel more funds into less-transparent independent expenditure groups, which can raise and spend unlimited sums under rulings like *Citizens United*. With passage requiring only a simple majority, the measure is all but certain to become law and will take effect after the November 5 general election. This August primary vote was the sole opportunity for citizens to decide the issue, as it will not appear on the November ballot. The result sets the stage for a transformed campaign finance landscape in Alaska, potentially reducing direct large-dollar donations to candidates while testing the resilience of the new caps against anticipated legal and political scrutiny.

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