ranked choice voting FAQs
1. How does ranked choice voting work in Alaska?
In Alaska's current general elections, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and those ballots transfer to the next ranked choice. This process repeats until one candidate has a majority of the remaining active ballots. This process can create an unpredictable outcome where ballots are eliminated in multiple rounds, sometimes leaving voters without a say in the final outcome.
2. What are the pros and cons of ranked choice voting?
Proponents claim ranked choice voting (RCV) encourages majority support and reduces concerns about "spoiler" candidates. However it creates an unpredictable process where ballots are eliminated in multiple rounds, sometimes leaving voters without a say in the final outcome. It can discourage participation, increase election errors, and undermine the trust in the elections system.
3. Is ranked choice voting still used in Alaska?
Yes. Alaska continues to use ranked choice voting for statewide general elections following its adoption through the 2020 ballot initiative and implementation beginning in 2022. It was also used in the 2024 general election. Ranked choice voting has since been banned in many other states.
4. What do voters think about ranked choice voting?
Many voters are becoming more concerned as RCV often elects candidates who aren’t the true majority choice. This has led to the practice being banned in many other states. The continued public debate and repeal efforts reflect these concerns.
5. What is the process for ranked choice voting in Alaska?
Voters rank as many or as few candidates as they choose. Election officials first count all first-choice votes, then eliminate the lowest-performing candidate and redistribute those ballots to the next available ranking. The process continues until one candidate secures a majority of active votes.
6. Why did Alaska switch to ranked choice voting?
Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 2 in 2020, which created a nonpartisan top-four primary and ranked choice voting for general elections. Proponents said the change would encourage broader voter choice and majority-supported winners. However, big money, special interests, and political consultants have learned how to game the system. Outcomes appear to be increasingly detached from voters' preferred selections.
7. Are there efforts to repeal ranked choice voting here?
Yes. Since ranked choice voting was adopted, there have been multiple efforts to repeal it through ballot initiatives and public campaigns. The issue is now on the ballot for repeal in this upcoming election.
8. Does ranked choice voting make Alaska elections less fair?
While supporters argue it produces winners with broader voter support, outcomes appear to be increasingly detached from voters' originally preferred selections. Big money, special interests, and political consultants have learned how to game the system, now undermining the trust in the system.
9. How are ballots counted in Alaska's ranked choice system?
Ballots are counted in rounds. If no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and those ballots transfer to each voter's next ranked, eligible candidate. Counting continues until a candidate wins a majority of active ballots. This can create an unpredictable process where ballots are eliminated in multiple rounds, sometimes leaving voters without a say in the final outcome.
10. What is the difference between traditional voting and ranked choice voting?
Traditional voting asks voters to choose the candidate they believe in most. The candidate with the most support wins. Ranked choice voting has voters rank candidates in order of preference, with votes transferring during multiple counting rounds if no candidate initially receives a majority.
11. Are there any upcoming ballot measures about ranked choice voting in Alaska?
Yes. Ranked choice voting continues to be the subject of ballot measure efforts, reflecting ongoing debate over whether the system should remain in place. The issue is now on the ballot for repeal in this upcoming election.
12. How does Alaska's ranked choice voting compare to other states?
Alaska is one of only a few states that uses ranked choice voting statewide for general elections. Ranked choice voting has since been banned in many other states.
13. How can I explain ranked choice voting to someone else?
You can explain it as a system where voters rank candidates. If no candidate earns a majority of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those votes move to each voter's next choice. The process repeats until one candidate has majority support among the remaining active ballots.
One simple analogy often used to explain ranked choice voting is like a waiter at a restaurant saying, "Before I bring your food, rank all the things you DON'T want to eat, then cross your fingers at what you get."
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
This communication was paid for by Repeal Now, PO Box 240382, Anchorage AK 99524. Judy Eledge, Chair, approves this message. Top contributors are Aurora Action Network, Anchorage AK; Kyle Bates, Anchorage AK; LOT Inc, Palmer AK.
End Ranked Choice Voting
What is Ballot Measure 2?
A Yes vote repeals the 2020 package that imposed ranked choice voting, the top-four “jungle” primary, and a few new disclosure rules. It puts Alaska back to the election system that was in place before 2020.
Does ranked choice really throw out votes?
Yes. In the 2022 special election alone, nearly 15,000 Alaska ballots were exhausted before a winner was declared. About 11,000 of those dropped in the second round alone. Those voters showed up. Their ballots did not count in the final tally.
Doesn’t ranked choice voting ensure a true majority vote winner?
The “majority” winner in RCV is only a majority of the final round — after thousands of ballots have already been discarded. That is not the same as a majority of everyone who voted. A majority earned only by throwing out ballots is not a real majority.
Does ranked choice really go against “one-person, one-vote?”
Yes. Each round of voting is like casting a new ballot in a new race between a new set of candidates. If you don’t rank, it is as if you did not show up to vote in those next rounds. It’s undemocratic to give someone more or less votes based on race, creed, gender - or whether or not you like to rank!
Isn’t ranked choice just more choice?
Choice only matters if your vote still counts. A ballot with 60-plus ranking bubbles invites fatigue and error. Voters who vote their conscience and stop, or who mark the sheet wrong, lose their voice. That is less choice, not more, for thousands of Alaskans every year.
Is ranked choice too complicated for Alaskans?
Alaskans can learn anything. However, they should not be forced to learn a confusing, burdensome system or commit to ranking a candidate against their conscience as a prerequisite for being allowed to exercise their right to vote. Ranked choice turns a simple ballot into a high school algebra scantron from hell. One person, one vote has worked for 250 years. End ranked choice voting to make voting simple again.
Do ranked choice results take longer?
Yes. Alaska already waits on ballots from across a huge state. Ranked choice requires waiting for all of the votes to come in from across the state to begin running the computer ranking algorithm. Then those rounds drag out results even longer.
Can we hand-count a ranked choice race?
Not in any practical way. The final result depends on a computer algorithm running multiple rounds. Other ranked choice places have had documented tabulation errors — first place posted as third, test ballots mixed into results, and corrupted memory sticks. Alaska does not fully check every ballot by hand the way you can do a full recount with one-person-one-vote.
Has ranked choice produced strange winners?
Yes. Candidates have won races after starting with as few as 4% or 12% of first-choice votes. In Alaska’s 2022 special, about 60% of first-round votes went to someone from a different party than the eventual winner — after thousands of Alaskan ballots were thrown out.
Why have 19 states banned it?
Ranked choice voting confuses voters, discards ballots, delays results, causes worrisome irregularities and cannot be fully hand-verified. This is a failed experiment being rejected nationwide. Voting Yes makes Alaska the 20th state to reject it.
Is this left vs. right?
No. The moral question is what we do with the Alaskan who shows up, marks a ballot, and still gets their ballot thrown out of the final count. No on 2 says “too bad.” Yes on 2 says “count every vote.”
Restore Open Primaries
Will Yes on 2 close Alaska’s primaries?
No. Legally, Yes on 2 defaults back to the pre-2020 traditional Open Primary System: each party has a primary ballot, and voters registered as nonpartisan or undeclared can choose which party ballot to vote.
If Yes on 2 doesn’t close primaries, why does the ballot measure say it will end “Open Nonpartisan” primaries?
There is more than one type of Open Primary system all across the country. Yes on 2 ends the California-style nonpartisan open primaries (jungle primary) and restores traditional Open Primaries where undeclared and nonpartisan voters may still fully participate as they have always done.
What’s wrong with the current “jungle” primary?
Everyone runs on one giant ballot. That means that Democrats can vote on the Republican candidates and vice versa. This leads to gamesmanship rather than sincere voting. Recently this has led to felons imprisoned in other states and fake “Dan Sullivans” making it onto the general election ballot. This is just more messy confusion for voters.
Does Yes on 2 give political parties the power to close their primaries?
Technically yes, practically no. On paper, political parties always had the power to close their primaries before ranked choice voting. Even No on 2 admits that before 2020 parties never closed their primaries in Alaska. Alaska is 63% nonpartisan, and no state in the nation with more than 43% nonpartisan voters has closed primaries. If parties closed primaries, they would suffer massive losses in the general election.
Who defines what is an Open or Closed primary?
The Supreme Court defined closed primaries as those where “only a political party’s members can vote” in their party primary. The Bipartisan Policy Center did an academic study, ironically funded by the same people backing No on 2, that defined Alaska’s primary system as Open to Undeclared voters going back as far into history as they tracked (See Appendix, Pg. 32-42). That Open to Undeclared system is what Yes on 2 will return to.
Why do so many people say Yes on 2 will close primaries, even the media?
No on 2 has spent tens-of-millions of dollars in dark money from out-of-state billionaires lying to voters for six years about Alaska’s primaries. Opponents of ranked choice voting are local, grassroots activists. In the past, they have not had the financial backing to set the record straight - now we do.
Okay, so what does the actual statute in ballot measure 2 say?
Sec. 34.1 of Ballot Measure 2 says “A voter registered nonpartisan or undeclared rathan than affiliated with a particular political party may vote the party ballot of their choice unless prohibited from doing so [by a political party’s rules].” Both the Republican Party rules (A.1.S.10 plus Appendix E) and Democratic Party (A.2a.S.1) rules explicitly allow nonpartisan voters to participate in their primaries.
Will Yes on 2 prevent veterans and first responders from voting?
No. This is one of the most malicious lies told by No on 2. Their dark money allies, who do not disclose even a single donor, shamelessly use the credibility of those who serve to scare Alaskans. All undeclared and nonpartisan voters - including veterans and first responders - will statutorily be allowed to choose which ballot to vote on in the restored traditional Open Primary System.
Reject Dark Money
Doesn’t No on 2 say they are the ones fighting dark money?
They say it. They do not live it. The biggest checks defending ranked choice are laundered through a national mega-PAC with hundreds of donors to countless causes. That means Alaskans don’t know exactly which donor, or donors, are backing RCV. Worse, they also have a nationwide web of dark money “nonprofits” that raise millions to support RCV and do not disclose even one single donor this election cycle.
Isn’t Elon Musk or Jeff Yass “dark money” on your side?
No. They gave to a federal PAC dedicated to stopping RCV in Alaska. They did not launder their money through a nationwide mega-PAC. Furthermore, even under the pre-2020 system those donations would show up on federal reports (April, July, October) as well as on more strict 30 day reports required in Alaska.
Will Yes on 2 wipe out all disclosure?
No. It returns Alaska to the 2020 rules. PACs and campaigns still report donors between 3 and 8 times in an election, depending on the type of entity and if they are active in the primary or general election, or both. In addition, any significant donation to certain groups influencing Alaska elections must be disclosed within 30 days of receiving it, and within 24 hours in the last nine days before the election. These are already some of the most strict rules in the nation.
Then why do they claim dark money will “flood back”?
“Dark money” is their best scare word. The current disclosure rules have not stopped Outside money, and No on 2 is the best example of that. They are part of a nationwide dark money syndicate. So it is not surprising that they wrote massive loopholes into these disclosure laws that allow them to continue to hide their exact donors.
Who is paying to keep ranked choice?
A faceless, nationwide dark money syndicate whose exact donors we cannot pinpoint. Their nationwide mega-PAC and network of dark money nonprofits have poured more dark money into this state than Alaska has ever seen before. No on 2 refuses to disclose exactly which of those donors are their primary backers. If you want to see the blank donor disclosure forms for two of their nonprofits, click the links for Alaskans for Better Elections and Alaskans for Better Elections Foundation. Their warm-and-fuzzy-named nonprofit Veterans for Alaska Voters (which is not really an Alaska group) does not even have blank forms yet available.
Ranked choice supporters claim to oppose dark money, but actions speak louder than words.
Can any of No on 2’s donors be named?
Not definitively. However, of the hundreds of people that donated to the mega-PAC supporting RCV, a few should worry Alaskans. John Arnold is a Texas billionaire who supports gun confiscation and defunding the police. Kathryn Murdoch is a New York billionaire who supports ending the oil and gas industry in Alaska. The George-Soros-funded New Venture Fund gave $100,000 to ABE Foundation — a dark money nonprofit defending RCV.
Does George Soros donate to support ranked choice voting in Alaska?
The George-Soros-Backed New Venture Fund donated $100,000 to support RCV in Alaska in 2021. They sponsored fake Alaskan brands, actually based in D.C., like SalmonState and Alaska Venture Fund to appear as if they were local operations. In 2026, we see those same fingerprints of dark money nonprofits supporting RCV and posing as if they were real Alaskan groups. However, since they refuse to disclose their donors, we cannot say if they are still receiving money from George Soros or not.
Why should I care who funds ranked choice voting?
Because people do not spend tens of millions on your ballot system for your sake. The same networks pushing ranked choice also fund gun-restriction research, soft-on-crime groups, and an end to oil dependence — the industry that funds the state budget and the PFD. You should ask why they want to run Alaska’s elections.
Why Change Primaries and Disclosure at All?
Why not just repeal ranked choice voting only and not change primaries or disclosure rules?
Yes on 2 opposes ranked choice voting. Period, full stop. Our organization is agnostic on the rule changes for primaries and disclosures.
However, the courts already ruled in 2020 that the three were legally a “single issue” in the original ballot measure that gave us RCV.
If the parts about primaries and disclosure remain in place and RCV is repealed, the courts could rule that the three things are non-severable and snap RCV back into place even after a vote of the people.
New Office Location & Hours
Repeal Now offices are open to the public and people can come in to speak with a campaign representative for more information about ranked choice voting, purchase a yard sign, or inquire about volunteer opportunities. More offices may be opening near you, coming soon!
Anchorage Office
5313 Arctic Blvd
Anchorage, AK 99518
(Corner of Arctic & International)
Opening Hours
Mon
Tues
Wed
Closed
2 pm – 7 pm
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Thurs
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(every other)
2 pm – 7 pm
10 am – 2 pm
MatSu Office
224 N. Yenlo St
Wasilla, AK 99645
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Tues
Wed
Thurs
Sat
(every other)
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2 pm – 7 pm
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2 pm – 7 pm
12 pm – 4 pm
Fairbanks Office
656 Seventh Ave.
"Old Firehouse"
Fairbanks, AK 99701
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Tues
Wed
Thurs
Closed
Closed
12 pm – 3 pm
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Sat
1 pm – 3 pm
Fri
4 pm – 7 pm