US News
Alaska's ranked-choice voting draws criticism; advocates dispute blame for slow counts
Voters can rank candidates by preference, and a first-choice majority wins outright; a repeal measure is on the ballot.
The short version
- Alaska uses a top-four nonpartisan primary, then ranked-choice voting in the general election.[CBS News · Al Jazeera]
- Voters rank candidates by preference, and a first-choice majority wins outright; otherwise, votes are redistributed in rounds.[CBS News · Al Jazeera]
- Vice President JD Vance called the system confusing, while Scott Kendall blames slow counts on absentee deadlines and state size.[The Washington Sun]
- An initiative to repeal the system is on this year's ballot, and Alaska and Maine are the only states using it statewide.[The Washington Sun · Al Jazeera]
Key facts
- Alaska uses a top-four nonpartisan primary followed by ranked-choice voting in the general election.[CBS News · Al Jazeera]
- Ranked-choice voting lets voters rank candidates by preference, and a candidate with over 50% of first-choice votes wins outright.[CBS News]
- If no candidate wins a majority, the lowest candidate is eliminated and votes move to voters' next choices in successive rounds.[CBS News · Al Jazeera]
- Alaska and Maine are the only two states that use ranked-choice voting throughout their territory.[Al Jazeera]
- Alaskans narrowly approved the ranked-choice voting system through a 2020 ballot measure.[The Washington Sun]
- Vice President JD Vance called ranked-choice voting confusing and said the candidate who wins the most votes should win.[The Washington Sun]
- Scott Kendall attributes slow ballot tabulation to Alaska's late absentee ballot deadline and the state's size, not to the voting system.[The Washington Sun]
- An initiative to get rid of ranked-choice voting in Alaska is on this year's ballot.[The Washington Sun]
What remains uncertain
- Whether the voting system or absentee deadlines and state size mainly cause slow tabulation is disputed; Kendall's explanation is an attributed view, not an independently established finding.[The Washington Sun · CBS News]
- Vance's criticism is an opinion, and the outcome of the repeal initiative on this year's ballot is unknown until voting concludes.[The Washington Sun]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- How Alaska's ranked choice voting system worksCBS News - US
- What is ranked-choice voting and how does it work in US elections?Al Jazeera
- Alaska's Senate Results Could Be Excruciatingly SlowThe Washington Sun