How Ranked Choice Voting Works in Alaska
Alaska elects its governor, legislators and members of Congress in two steps: one primary open to every candidate and voter, then a general election where voters rank the four finalists. Voters approved the system in November 3, 2020 with 50.55% of the vote (Ballotpedia; AS 15.25.100).
Key facts
- The top four finishers in the primary advance, whatever their party.
- In November, a candidate needs more than half of the ballots still counting to win.
- A 2024 repeal failed by 737 votes out of 320,985 cast.
- Ballot Measure 2 on the November 3, 2026 ballot would repeal the system again.
Our national ranked choice voting explainer compares Alaska with Maine and the states that ban the method.
How Alaska Counts Ranked Ballots
On election night, every ballot counts as one vote for its highest-ranked candidate still in the race. If someone is first on more than half of the active ballots, that candidate wins. If not, the count moves in rounds: the last-place candidate drops out, and those ballots go to each voter’s next choice (AS 15.15.350).
How Alaska counts a ranked general election
- August primary Top four advance One ballot for every candidate; the four with the most votes move on.
- After 8 p.m. Round 1 Each ballot counts for its top choice. A majority of active ballots wins.
- Later rounds Lowest candidate drops Those ballots move to their next-ranked candidate still in the race.
- Final round Majority winner The count stops when one candidate has more than half.
A ballot with no ranked candidate left becomes inactive and stops counting in later rounds. That is why the winning share is measured against the ballots still in play, not every ballot cast.
The Alaska Ranked Choice Repeal in 2024
In November 5, 2024, a measure to repeal the system lost 160,861 to 160,124, a margin of 737 votes. That was 50.11% against repeal and 49.89% for it (Alaska Division of Elections, official results).
- 50.55%
- Voted to adopt the system in 2020
- 50.11%
- Voted against repealing it in 2024
- 737
- Votes that decided the 2024 repeal
- Voters adopt the top-four system
- First ranked elections
- Repeal fails by 737 votes
- New repeal certified
- Voters decide again
Sources: Alaska Division of Elections; Ballotpedia.
: 2020: Voters adopt the top-four system (Ballot Measure 2 passes with 50.55%.). 2022: First ranked elections (A U.S. House special, then the full November ballot.). 2024: Repeal fails by 737 votes (50.11% vote no on repeal.). Dec 2025: New repeal certified (42,837 signatures verified.). Nov 3, 2026: Voters decide again (Ballot Measure 2 is on the ballot.).
2020: Voters approved Ballot Measure 2, which created the top-four primary and ranked general elections and added a disclosure rule for large donors.
2022: Ranked ballots were first counted in an August special election for Alaska’s U.S. House seat, then for every race on the November ballot.
2024: A repeal measure, also numbered Ballot Measure 2, failed by 737 votes.
December 2025: Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom certified the new repeal petition on December 31, 2025.
November 3, 2026: Voters decide the new repeal.
Ballot Measure 2 in 2026
A “yes” vote on Ballot Measure 2 would end the top-four primary and ranked general elections and bring back party primaries. It would also repeal the 2020 rule that donors giving more than $2,000 in passed-through money disclose its true source. A “no” vote keeps all three (Ballotpedia).
What Ballot Measure 2 would change in Alaska elections
Source: Ballotpedia, Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (2026)
The measure qualified when 42,837 signatures were verified, against 34,098 required, across 40 House districts (Ballotpedia). It needs a simple majority.
Races Decided by Ranked Ballots
Some Alaska races end in the first round and others go to later rounds. In 2022, Governor Mike Dunleavy won outright on first choices, while Senator Lisa Murkowski needed three rounds (Ballotpedia, governor; Ballotpedia, Senate).
How three Alaska races were decided under ranked ballots
Source: Ballotpedia election histories; Alaska Division of Elections
This year the system decides the governor race and the U.S. Senate race, each with four candidates.
Alaska Ranked Choice Questions
How does ranked choice voting work in Alaska?
A top-four primary open to every candidate picks four finalists. In November, voters rank them; if no one has more than half of the active ballots, the last-place candidate drops out and those ballots move to their next choice until someone does.
Did Alaska vote to repeal ranked choice voting in 2024?
No. The 2024 repeal failed by 737 votes, with 50.11% voting no. Voters had adopted the system in 2020 with 50.55%.
What would Alaska Ballot Measure 2 do in 2026?
A yes vote would end the top-four primary and ranked general elections, bring back party primaries, and repeal the 2020 rule that large donors disclose the true source of passed-through money. A no vote keeps all three.
What You Can Do
- Read the measure’s full text and summary on Ballotpedia’s Ballot Measure 2 page before you vote.
- Rank in order and do not skip numbers. Alaska’s tabulation rules treat a ballot as exhausted once two or more rankings are skipped (Alaska Division of Elections).
- Check your polling place on the Division of Elections’ voter information page.
- Tell your state legislators what you think of the system; find them with the Legislature’s Who Represents Me lookup.