Alaska Voters Reject Repeal of Nonpartisan Primary and Ranked-Choice Voting

Alaska voters rejected a 2026 ballot measure that would have repealed the state's nonpartisan primary system and ranked-choice voting, according to NPR. The Associated Press called the measure's failure overnight.

It was the second time Alaska voters have turned down an effort to repeal the election system, which was first approved in 2020. A 2024 effort to repeal the nonpartisan primary and ranked-choice voting also failed, narrowly.

Under the current system, the top four candidates advance from the primary to the general election. If no candidate wins a majority in that general election, ranked-choice voting is used to decide the winner. Ranked-choice voting is a counting method that applies when no candidate has a majority.

The change was on the ballot as voters cast their ballots in a race that drew attention for its candidates. Alaska's four-person U.S. Senate general election ballot included two candidates named Dan Sullivan. The race appeared likely to move to ranked-choice tabulation, according to NPR.