Understanding Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting System

How ranked choice voting works in Alaska

In Alaska, voters do not simply choose a single candidate. Instead, they are asked to rank up to three candidates in order of preference. This method, known as ranked choice voting (RCV), replaces the traditional plurality system and aims to ensure that elected officials have broader support.

History and adoption of ranked choice voting in Alaska

The push for RCV began several years ago when legislators and civic groups argued that the state’s first‑past‑the‑post system often produced winners without majority backing. After a series of public hearings and a statewide referendum in 2020, Alaskans approved a constitutional amendment that made RCV the default method for most state and federal elections.

Key milestones include:

2020: Voters approved Ballot Measure 2, authorizing ranked choice voting for statewide offices.
2022: The Alaska Division of Elections released detailed voter guides and training for poll workers.
2024: The first major election cycle under the new system, featuring gubernatorial and congressional races.

Official information about the amendment can be found on the Alaska Division of Elections website. For a broader view of how RCV functions across the United States, see the resources provided by FairVote.

Step by step voting process

When a voter arrives at the polling place, the ballot lists each contest with a column for first, second, and third choices. The process follows these steps:

Mark the first‑choice candidate in the first column.
Optionally mark a second‑choice candidate in the second column.
Optionally mark a third‑choice candidate in the third column.
Submit the ballot as usual.

After polls close, the counting proceeds in rounds:

First round: All first‑choice votes are tallied. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent, they win outright.
Elimination round: If no candidate reaches a majority, the candidate with the fewest first‑choice votes is eliminated.
Redistribution: Voters who selected the eliminated candidate as their first choice have their votes transferred to their second choice.
The process repeats until a candidate surpasses the 50‑percent threshold.

This method ensures that the winner reflects a majority preference, even when the field includes multiple candidates.

Impact on recent elections

The 2024 elections provided the first real‑world test of Alaska’s RCV system. In the gubernatorial race, three major candidates split the first‑choice vote roughly equally. After the lowest‑ranked candidate was eliminated and their votes were redistributed, the eventual winner secured 52 percent of the final tally.

Analysts noted several effects:

Voter engagement rose, with many respondents saying they appreciated the ability to express nuanced preferences.
Negative campaigning decreased, as candidates sought to become the second or third choice of their opponents’ supporters.
Ballot exhaustion – where a vote is discarded because all ranked candidates are eliminated – remained low, under 3 percent, according to data from the Ballotpedia entry on Alaska RCV.

Common questions and misconceptions

Do I have to rank three candidates?

No. Voters may rank just one candidate if they prefer. Ranking additional candidates is optional but can help ensure the vote counts in later rounds.

Will my vote be counted if I make a mistake?

Poll workers are trained to identify over‑votes (marking more than one candidate in the same column) and under‑votes (leaving a column blank). In most cases, a clear first‑choice mark will be counted, and the ballot will be processed according to the voter’s intent.

Is RCV more expensive to administer?

Initial costs rose due to new ballot designs and staff training. However, the Alaska Division of Elections projects long‑term savings because runoff elections are no longer needed.

Looking ahead

With the system now in place, legislators are reviewing its performance. Proposals under consideration include expanding RCV to local city council races and providing additional voter education resources.

Nationally, Alaska’s experience adds to a growing body of evidence that ranked choice voting can produce majority winners while encouraging more civil campaigns. The National Conference of State Legislatures continues to monitor RCV adoption across the country, citing Alaska as a key case study.

For voters, the shift means a more expressive ballot and a greater chance that elected officials truly represent the preferences of the electorate.