Alaska Narrowly Votes to Retain Ranked-Choice Voting System

The state's ranked-choice voting system survives a repeal effort by just 664 votes, as other states reject similar election reforms.

Alaska's ranked-choice voting (RCV) system remains intact after a repeal initiative failed by a margin of 50.1% to 49.9%, with just 664 votes separating the two sides.
The repeal effort, led by prominent Republicans including Sarah Palin, sought to overturn the RCV system adopted in 2020, which replaces party primaries with nonpartisan primaries and allows voters to rank candidates by preference.
RCV has faced criticism from some conservatives, who argue it disadvantages their candidates, though Alaska's recent election saw Republican Nick Begich III defeat Democrat Mary Peltola under the system.
Proponents of RCV highlight its ability to produce more representative outcomes, citing its role in electing centrist candidates like Senator Lisa Murkowski and fostering bipartisan cooperation.
While Alaska retained RCV, ballot measures to introduce the system in Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon failed, and Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved a ban on RCV.