Robert Myers: Why I’m voting ‘No’ on Ballot Measure 1

Aug. 8, 2026 – While Ballot Measure 2 — to repeal ranked-choice voting — in November has gained a lot of attention, Ballot Measure 1 this August 18 has slipped under the radar. I’ll be voting no. 

Let me tell you why.

Supposedly, the ballot measure creates campaign contribution limits in order to keep more wealthy people and groups from having an outsized affect on elections. But it will end up doing the opposite and reduce transparency.

The measure would create individual contribution limits of $2,000 per election cycle to each candidate or $4,000 per cycle to a governor and lieutenant governor ticket (federal offices are governed by federal laws). 

But it can’t stop someone from creating an independent expenditure group with unlimited funds.

So let’s say we have a wealthy person who wants to support a candidate with $100,000. Do we want to see which candidate that money goes to directly so we know who is supporting whom? Or do we want that money to go to an independent expenditure group where we won’t know who that money is supporting until months later?

The ballot measure raises the limits on what a political action committee can contribute to a candidate from $1,000 per year to $4,000 per election cycle. So we will see higher group spending per candidate. It also raises to limit one PAC can transfer to another to $4,000, so one PAC can hit its limit and give more to another PAC, to immediately give to that same candidate. 

Beyond that, some PACs are exempt from the dark money rules that we passed in 2020 because they get their money from individual membership contributions. So they can collect a ton of money, hide the source, and create an unlimited number of PACs to give huge amounts to an individual candidate.

We might not like the large amount of money that plays into politics, but we’re better off keeping campaign contributions from individuals as direct as possible instead of giving more influence to those with the ability to play the system to hide their contributions through multiple layers.

Senator Robert Myers was born in Fairbanks and spent much of his young childhood at the Salchaket Roadhouse, owned by his parents. He attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he studied philosophy, political science, and history. While in college, he drove for a tour company, sharing  Alaska with countless visitors. He currently drives truck and travels the Dalton Highway (Haul Road) frequently. He ran for office because he wants an Alaska his children will choose to make their home down the road. When not working for his Senate District B, North Pole, he enjoys reading, history, board games, and spending time with his wife Dawna and his five kids.

Robert Myers: Alaska’s Constitution says ‘maximum benefit.’ It doesn’t say ‘maximum tax revenue’