In Alaska, a controversy is unfolding over whether two Senate candidates with roughly the same name will cancel each other out.
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candidates → unfold → other
The debate has shone a spotlight on a relatively uncommon style of voting in the United States: a system known as “ranked choice”.
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debate → shine → choice
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Trump → brace → elections
Only two states in the United States — Alaska and Maine — employ ranked-choice voting throughout their territory, though major cities like New York have also embraced the practice.
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cities → employ → practice
Ranked-choice ballots allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, rather than choosing just one.
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voters → rank → one
If a voter’s first choice does not win a majority, their vote can be transferred to their second pick.
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vote → win → pick
With US midterm elections set for November 3, ranked-choice voting could play a role in closely watched races, including the Alaska Senate battle.
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voting → set → battle
Here’s a guide on how ranked-choice voting works in the US:
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voting → ’ → US
What are the benefits of ranked-choice voting?
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benefits → rank → voting
Proponents of ranked-choice voting believe the practice frees voters from the pressure of having to vote pragmatically.
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practice → rank → pressure
They no longer have to cast their ballot based on the candidate most likely to win.
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They → have → candidate
Instead, supporters say that ranked-choice voting allows people to support the candidate they prefer the most, without the fear of “wasting” their vote should that candidate prove to be unpopular.
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candidate → say → vote
Advocates for ranked-choice voting also argue that the system reduces the spoiler effect, whereby a third-party or lesser-known candidate draws votes from a similar major-party candidate.
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candidate → rank → candidate
They also frame the system as a boon for democracy, by encouraging more diverse viewpoints to compete in elections and offering an incentive for candidates to work together.
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candidates → frame → incentive
Critics argue that ranked-choice ballots make voting and vote-counting more complicated.
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voting → argue → ?
They also fear it could slow down the tallying of election results, undermining confidence in the outcome.
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it → fear → outcome
A 2025 study published in the journal Political Behavior cited data suggesting that 4.8 percent of ranked-choice ballots are “improperly marked” — though it clarified that not all of those ballots are invalidated as a result.
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all → publish → result
How does ranked-choice voting work?
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voting → rank → ?
On a ranked-choice ballot, voters get to number their candidates in order of preference.
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voters → rank → preference
If their first choice doesn’t win, their vote automatically counts for their next choice instead.
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vote → win → choice
If one candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, that candidate wins.
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candidate → receive → votes
If no candidate secures a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.
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candidate → secure → votes
Ballots for that candidate are redistributed to voters’ next-ranked choices, and the votes are tallied again.
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votes → redistribute → choices
This continues until a candidate wins a majority of votes still counted in the final round.
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candidate → continue → round
If a voter ranks only one candidate and that candidate is eliminated, their ballot cannot transfer to another candidate.
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ballot → rank → candidate
Unlike a traditional runoff election, which requires voters to return to the polls, ranked-choice voting can determine a winner through successive rounds of counting in a single election.
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voting → require → election
Why do Alaska and Maine use ranked-choice voting?
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Alaska → use → voting
Maine adopted ranked-choice voting in 2016 after concerns emerged about candidates winning elections without majority support.
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candidates → adopt → support
It first used the system in congressional elections in 2018.
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It → use → 2018
Alaska voters approved the system through a 2020 ballot initiative.
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voters → approve → initiative
The state uses open primaries in which all candidates compete, with the top four advancing to a general election decided by ranked-choice voting.
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four → use → voting
Will ranked-choice voting affect Alaska’s Senate race?
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voting → rank → race
Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system could come under scrutiny in this year’s Senate race, where two candidates named Dan Sullivan appear on the ballot.
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candidates → rank → ballot
The potential for voter confusion raises questions about whether some voters could accidentally rank the wrong candidate, potentially affecting how votes are distributed in successive rounds of ballot-counting.
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votes → raise → counting
State officials have taken steps to differentiate the two Sullivans on the ballot.
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officials → take → ballot
The incumbent, Senator Dan S Sullivan, is listed as a registered Republican and the incumbent, while his challenger, retired teacher Daniel J Sullivan Jr, has no party identification next to his name.
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challenger → list → name
Still, the teacher’s inclusion has been the source of ongoing controversy, particularly in the wake of a New York Times report signalling he may have been recruited by Democrats as a spoiler candidate.
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he → signal → candidate
Republicans have raised concerns that having two Sullivans on the ballot could confuse voters and draw support away from the senator.
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having → raise → senator
The teacher, meanwhile, has said his candidacy is genuine.
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candidacy → say → ?
In June, the Alaska Supreme Court allowed the vote to proceed with the participation of both Sullivans.
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vote → allow → Sullivans
…and 9 more, not listed.
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