Alaska voters will decide this fall whether to keep or repeal the state's unique top-four open primary and ranked choice voting system. The upcoming ballot measure follows a chaotic August primary where at least five candidates, including Democrat Tom Begich, withdrew after advancing. While supporters argue the system reduces partisanship, critics like Donald Trump and state GOP leaders call it a confusing 'mess.' Republicans remain divided on whether to utilize ranking strategies or vote for single candidates.
Alaska ranked choice voting system
- ▪Alaska and Maine are the only two U.S. states that use ranked choice voting for their statewide races.
- ▪Alaska first implemented its voter-approved top-four primary and ranked choice general election system four years prior to 2026, and narrowly rejected a repeal effort two years prior.
- ▪Alaska voters will decide whether to keep or repeal the state's top-four open primary and ranked choice voting system in an upcoming ballot measure in the fall of 2026.
Post-primary candidate withdrawals
- ▪At least five candidates across the races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and governor withdrew from the general election after advancing from the August 2026 Alaska primary.
- ▪Democrat Tom Begich withdrew from the Alaska governor's race after finishing second in Alaska's August primary, endorsing leading Democratic vote-getter Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins to avoid a multi-million dollar campaign
- ▪Democrat John Williams withdrew from the Alaska U.S. House race after advancing with less than 3% of the vote, stating that Democrats urged him to drop out to clear the field for independent Bill Hill.
Voter trust concerns
- ▪Some voters expressed anger and disappointment over post-primary withdrawals like Tom Begich's, stating they felt their primary votes did not matter and that they were robbed of the opportunity to rank candidates in Alaska's general election
- ▪Matt Schultz, a Democrat who suspended his U.S. House bid before the primary, stated that Alaska needs to make Alaska's top-four open primary and ranked choice voting system more transparent, predictable, and understandable to restore public trust
Republican opposition to reform
- ▪Incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan and his allies have criticized challenger Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher with the same name, as a 'sham' candidate intended to sow voter confusion.
- ▪Many Republicans, including Donald Trump and Alaska Republican Party Chair Carmela Warfield, have criticized Alaska's ranked choice voting system, with Warfield calling it a 'mess.'
- ▪Alaska Republicans remain divided over whether to encourage a 'rank the red' strategy of ranking Republican candidates under Alaska's ranked choice voting system in November 2026, with some activists advocating for ranking GOP candidates while others plan to vote only for their top choice
Upcoming ballot measure decision
- ▪Alaskans for Better Elections is holding educational events to help voters understand Alaska's ranked choice voting system, while executive director Juli Lucky criticized candidate consolidation as 'shortsighted.'
- ▪Elijah Verhagen, a Republican voter from Nenana, expressed concern that GOP voters will receive mixed messaging about whether to use the ranking system on the same day they vote to repeal it.
Debatable claims
- ▪Candidates who advance from open primaries should not withdraw to consolidate party support
- ▪Alaska Republicans should utilize ranked choice voting to maximize their electoral chances
- ▪Alaska should repeal its ranked choice voting system
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