August 12, 2026 – Early voting is underway for Alaska’s August 18 primary election, with competitive races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and most seats in the state legislature. This will be the third cycle with Alaska’s “Top Four” system – which includes an open, all-candidate primary and a ranked choice voting general election – since voters approved it in 2020. 

FairVote has studied Alaska’s elections since the reform was implemented in 2022, and offers the below data and analysis for reporters covering this year’s elections: 

1. Alaska voters like open primaries and ranked choice voting: In a 2024 survey, 84% of Alaska voters said that ranked choice voting is simple. 

In a 2022 survey, 62% said they supported the new primary system. 60% reported that the 2022 elections were more competitive than other recent elections. 

2. With Alaska’s election system, general elections are more competitive. In most states and districts, the party primary is the decisive election – even though turnout is much higher in the general election. With Alaska’s reform, the most competitive election is the general election. This year, races for governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House are competitive.

Similarly, 86% of Alaska’s state legislative races are contested, well above the national average. The number of uncontested races has fallen in half since 2020, before Alaska adopted the reform. 

3. Ranked choice voting addresses partisan gaming head-on. Voters get more choices without fear of splitting the vote – whether that’s multiple Republicans in the governor’s race or the “two Dan Sullivans” in the Senate race. National press attention has focused on concern that a second candidate named Dan Sullivan could make the November ballot and “siphon” votes from incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan. 

This type of gamesmanship exists in any election system, but RCV makes it much less effective – offering voters a safety valve that doesn’t exist in most elections. The small number of voters uncertain about the “Dan Sullivans” could rank both candidates on their ballot, and their vote would count for the stronger candidate (extremely likely to be Senator Sullivan). In contests across the country without ranked choice voting, partisans routinely run candidates with the same name or successfully boost third-party candidates to split the vote. 

There is also ample evidence that Alaska voters listen to candidate cues and understand how to use ranked choice voting, whether successfully writing in M-U-R-K-O-W-S-K-I in 2010 or “ranking the red” (all Republican candidates) in 2022. Alaska voters ranking a third-party or independent candidate first have also been more likely to rank backup choices. 

4. In addition to its contested statewide and legislative races, Alaska will vote for a third time on its election reform (open primaries, ranked choice voting, and campaign finance transparency) – after passing it in 2020 and defeating repeal in 2024. Elon Musk has given $1.5m to the repeal effort. In addition to increasing competition in general elections: 

• Election reform has increased bipartisanship in state government – with cross-partisan governing coalitions leading Alaska’s legislature since the 2022 elections. In 2025, the coalition passed, then overrode a veto on, the largest increase in education funding in state history.
• Since reform was implemented, Alaska voters have elected their first majority-women House of Representatives, their first Alaska Native to Congress, and their most racially diverse legislature ever. They have also elected conservative Republicans, moderate Republicans, and a Democrat to statewide office. 

Additional Resources

• Glenn Wright, David Lublin and Benjamin Reilly in the Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy: Assessing Alaska’s Top-4 Primary and Ranked Choice Voting Electoral Reform
• State Sen. Cathy Giessel (R), Rep. Bryce Edgmon (I), Rep. Ky Holland (N), Rep. Zack Fields (D): We govern across the aisle. Alaska’s open primary makes it possible. 
• Sightline Institute: Nonpartisan open primaries and ranked choice voting in Alaska
• Unite America: Alaska’s election model
• R Street Institute: Evaluating the Effects of the Top-Four System in Alaska
• Scott Kendall: Courage and open primaries allowed the override of Gov. Dunleavy’s education funding veto

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FairVote is a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all. We research and advance voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative for every American.