Alaska has voted to continue using ranked choice voting (RCV) and open primaries. This is the third ballot measure in a row where Alaskans have supported RCV – voters first approved RCV in 2020, and narrowly rejected an attempted repeal in 2024. Alaskans have voted to keep RCV by their largest margin ever this year.

This historic vote comes on the heels of ranked choice voting’s successful use in the state in 2022, 2024, and 2026. Alaskans have used RCV in elections for Congress, State Legislature, governor, and U.S. president. The full reform package first passed in 2020 includes RCV general elections, a “top four” open primary, and an anti-dark money rule requiring the public disclosure of contributions over $2,000.  

Since its adoption, ranked choice voting has given Alaskans more choice on their ballots and ensured majority winners. Following all three election cycles with RCV, bipartisan majority coalitions formed in both houses of the state legislature.

Our system outperformed every statewide candidate on the ballot. This isn’t a narrow win; Alaskans have spoken clearly yet again that we want the election system that puts us first.

– Julia Anastos, No on 2 campaign manager

Ranked choice voting is growing outside Alaska, too. Since 2016, ranked choice voting has grown from just 10 cities to 51 cities, counties, and states. This Election Day, RCV ballot measures were approved in Longmont, CO and Irvine, CA. RCV has won 36 of its last 38 city ballot measures.

For more information on ranked choice voting in Alaska, see our roundup below or visit Alaskans for Better Elections. If you’re following Alaska’s U.S. Senate and House races, use FairVote’s interactive tool that models how the remaining ballots could impact each race.

To support RCV where you live, join an RCV group in your state today.

How ranked choice voting is working in Alaska

• Alaska voters like and understand RCV: In a 2024 survey, 84% of Alaska voters said ranked choice voting is simple. In a 2022 survey, 62% said they supported the new primary system. 
• Alaska’s government is more responsive to voters’ needs: Following all three election cycles with RCV, bipartisan majority coalitions formed in both houses of the state legislature. Democrats, Republicans, and independents in the legislature have discussed how the state’s election reforms make that possible. 
• RCV delivers more voter choice & competition:
  • In Alaska’s first use of ranked choice voting in 2022, 52% of voters said their vote “mattered more” than in previous elections. 60% reported that elections were more competitive than other recent elections. 
  • In 2026, 82% of Alaska’s state legislative races were contested, well above the national average. Alaska’s share of legislative elections with 3+ general-election candidates has more than doubled since adopting reform. See Sightline Institute analysis of how Alaska’s election reforms have increased competition here.
• RCV allows independent-minded Alaska voters to express their nuanced preferences: 
  • On a single election day in 2022, Alaskans elected a conservative Republican governor, a moderate Republican senator, and a moderate Democratic congresswoman.
  • In 2024, 27% of voters crossed party lines in their top two choices (i.e. ranking a Republican first and a Democrat second, or vice versa). In that year’s U.S. House race, Alaskans elected conservative Republican Nick Begich to replace their Democratic congresswoman. 
  • In 2026, Alaskans reelected Begich to the House, and sent Democrats to the Senate and governor’s mansion.
• RCV encourages more positive campaigns: Republican, Democratic, and independent candidates have adopted campaign strategies that avoid personal attacks and emphasize their ability to work across the aisle. Notably, in 2022, Lisa Murkowski and Mary Peltola endorsed each other for federal office – though Murkowski is a Republican and Peltola a Democrat. In 2026, Murkowski endorsed a Democrat for governor and a Republican for U.S. Senate.
• Candidates have actively campaigned to be the second choice of voters ranking a competitor first: In 2022, the Alaska GOP adopted a “rank the red” strategy, encouraging voters to rank every Republican on the ballot. In 2026, Republicans running for governor encouraged voters to rank every Republican, and Senator Dan Sullivan had a catchy jingle asking voters to rank him second if he wasn’t their first choice. 
• RCV has increased representation for women and people of color:
  • In 2022, Alaska elected its most racially diverse legislature ever. 
  • In 2024, Alaskans elected a majority-women state House for the first time. 
  • In 2022 and 2026, Mary Peltola became the first Alaska Native elected to the U.S. House and Senate, respectively.