SARAH PALIN IS PART OF TWO COMPELLING STORY LINES.
AS ALASKA VOTES TODAY. ONE IS HER PERSONAL COMEBACK HOPE.
SHE'S RUNNINFOR CONGRESS. 14 YEARS AFTER SPLASHING ONTO
THE NATIONAL STAGE AS JOHN McCAIN'S RUNNING MATE.
THE FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR HAS HAD STINTS AS A FOX CONTRIBUTOR
AND NOW IS THE TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE FOR ALASKA'S HOUSE
SEAT. SHE'S ON TODAY'S BALLOT TWICE.
FIRST, VOTERS PICK A CANDIDATE TO FINISH DON YOUNG'S TERM.
AND THEN VOTERS PICK CANDIDATES FOR THE NOVEMBER BALLOT AND A
FULL TWO-YEAR TERM. THEY WILL RANK CANDIDATES WHEN
VOTING. OUR REPORTERS ARE BACK WITH US.
AND THIS MAKES IT A FASCINATING EXPERIMENT.
OTHER STATES HAVE TRIED THIS MORE AND MORE.
LET'S SHOW YOU HOW IT WORKS. YOU RANK YOUR CANDIDATES.
NUMBER ONE, YOU PICK YOUR FIRST CHOICE.
IF SOMEBODY GETS 50-PLUS THEY'RE THE WINNER.
IF NOBODY CROSSES THE 50% THRESHOLD, THE LOWEST CANDIDATE
LEAVES AND YOU GO AND COUNT THEIR -- COUNT THEIR BALLOTS --
WHO IS THEIR SECOND CHOICE FOR THE LOWEST CANDIDATE.
YOU GO THROUGH THIS UNTIL SOMEBODY GETS TO 50%.
THE GOAL IS TO FORCE REPUBLICANS TO TALK TO DEMOCRATS AND TO
FORCE DEMOCRATS TO TALK TO REPUBLICANS BECAUSE YOU MIGHT
NEED TO BE SOMEBODY'S SECOND CHOICE.
>> IT CAN BE A CONFUSING PROCESS UNTIL WE ALL GET USED TO IT AS
MORE STATES ADOPT THIS PRACTICE. BUT IT IS A GOOD IDEA IN THEORY.
IT IS GOOD THAT YOU DON'T ONLY HAVE TO APPEAL TO THE BASE OF
YOUR PARTY AND THAT YOU HAVE TO SPEAK TO A WIDER NUMBER OF THE
ELEC ELECTORATE.
>> THIS COULD BE A LITTLE CONFUSING ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE
NOT IN ALASKA. TODAY, YOU'RE VOTING TWICE FOR
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THERE ARE THREE CANDIDATES ON
THE BALLOT TODAY, PELTOLA, BEGICH AND PALIN.
IN NOVEMBER, WE CAN SHOW YOU THOSE SAME THREE CANDIDATES,
PLUS YOU'LL SEE TARA SWEENEY, PLUS 18 OR 19 OTHERS OR 20-PLUS
CANDIDATES. THESE ARE CONSIDERED THE FOUR
LEADING CANDIDATES HERE. LET'S FOCUS ON TODAY AND LISTEN
TO THE THREE CANDIDATES, ONE OF WHOM WILL BE IN CONGRESS AS
EARLY AS NEXT WEEK. >> HAD SOME SHACKLES ON ME, NOT
ALLOWED TO GO ROGUE. THAT'S WHAT OUR COUNTRY NEEDS
RIGHT NOW. >> I'M NICK BEGICH.
I'M NOT A POLITICIAN. BUT I'M THE ONLY CANDIDATE
ENDORSED BY THE ALASKA REPUBLICAN PARTY.
I'LL FIGHT FOR ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND I'LL NEVER
QUIT. >> THE FISH COMMISSION, WORKING
TO PROTECT ALASKA'S SALMON AND THE ONLY CANDIDATE FIGHTING FOR
ABORTION RIGHTS. >> I'M MARY PELTOLA AND I
APPROVE THIS MESSAGE. >> THE LAST CANDIDATE,
INTERESTING, EVERYWHERE DEMOCRATS ARE LOOKING FOR CLUES
AS TO WHETHER THE ABORTION DEBATE HELPS THEM WITH VOTERS.
THAT WILL BE, AGAIN, ONE OF THE TESTS.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IT WILL BE TELLING TO SEE WHAT
THE RESULTS ARE WHICH WE WON'T HAVE TONIGHT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD TAKE A FEW WEEKS BEFORE WE --
>> THANK YOU FOR REMINDING PEOPLE OF THAT.
>> IT'S -- SEEING IT AND THINKING, OKAY, IT'S PRIMARY
NIGHT. BUT WE STILL HAVE A WAYS AWAY
BEFORE WE HAVE THE RESULTS. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TOO, WITH
THE RANK CHOICE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CAN IONSERVATIVES SPLITTINE
VOTE AND THAT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL TO RACK UP
THE VOTES IN A DIFFERENT WAY. WE'RE SEEING TWO WITH THIS RANK
CHOICE, PALIN HAS TALKING ABOUT IT AS THE SCREWIEST SYSTEM.
WE'RE SEEING HOW ARE CANDIDATES GOING TO TRY TO MANIPULATE THIS
IN THE FUTURE AND TALK ABOUT IT. >> IT IS INTERESTING TO WATCH.
SHE WAS VERY COMPELLING AS JOHN McCAIN'S VICE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE. A LOT OF REPUBLICAN WILL ARGUE
MAYBE SHE WASN'T PREPARED. OFTENTIMES, WHEN YOU LEAVE
POLITICS, YOU DON'T COME BACK. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IN
THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT HELPS. >> AND ALSO IF SHE'S GOING TO
ENJOY BEING A MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
SHE DOES HAVE TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENT.
BEGICH IS A POPULAR -- OR A COMMON -- I SAY, WELL-KNOWN NAME
IN ALASKA AS WELL. HIS UNCLE AND FATHER ARE
POLITICIANS IN ALASKA SO HE'S WELL-KNOWN TOO AND THERE'S NOT A
LOT OF POLLING IN ALASKA. WE'LL SEE WHERE IT LANDS.
>> HER RE-ENTRY SEEMS OPPORTUNISTIC ON ITS SURFACE.
THAT'S THE HIGH BAR. SHE HAS TO APPEAL TO THESE
VOTERS AND SAY, HEY, I REALLY WANT THIS JOB.
I WAS LOOKING ON HER CAMPAIGN WEBSITE AND HER NUMBER ONE ISSUE
IS OIL AND GAS DRILLING. I DON'T THINK ABOUT SARAH PALIN
AS A LEGISLATOR. I DON'T THINK ABOUT THE ISSUES
WHEN I THINK OF HER. AND I THINK THIS IS A
RE-BRANDING EXERCISE THAT SHE'S TRYING TO ENGAGE IN.
I THINK OF THE MASKED SINGER,