How Alaska's ranked choice voting system works

Executive Briefing

According to reporting by CBS News US Politics, Voters in Alaska are going to the polls to cast their ballots in key races, and the state's unique ranked choice voting system is back in the spotlight.

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Voters in Alaska are going to the polls to cast their ballots in key races, including a Senate election that has garnered widespread attention amid scrutiny over the presence of a candidate bearing nearly the same name as the sitting senator, Dan Sullivan.

Alaska's election system itself has also been in the spotlight in recent years, since the state instituted a top-four nonpartisan primary and ranked choice voting in the general election.

Ranked choice voting allows voters to rank as many or as few candidates as they'd like in order of preference, rather than selecting a single candidate on the ballot. First implemented in 2022, the unique system aims to stymie polarization by moving the state away from party primaries. Instead, the top four candidates in the nonpartisan primary move on to the general election.

On Tuesday, if any candidate secures support from more than 50% of voters as their top choice, they win. But if nobody wins an outright majority, the count goes to a second round. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their supporters' votes are redistributed to their second choice. That process continues until one candidate wins a majority.

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Source & Verification Provenance

Information in this article was compiled directly from records provided by CBS News US Politics. Access the primary source document at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ranked-choice-ballot-alaska-senate-dan-sullivan/. Reporting and editorial review conducted by the USA NOW News Desk.