Alaskans will decide fate of ranked choice voting system after chaotic end to state's primary
The August primary revealed some of the headaches related to a major change in how Alaska voters select their candidates and was the latest example of how the real-world experience of state voting changes don't always line up neatly with expectations.
Even after all votes were counted from Alaska's primary election, the final slate of candidates remained unresolved. The August primary revealed the challenges of Alaska's unique voting system, which combines open primaries with a ranked-choice general election. Late withdrawals and upset voters shook up races for governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House, as candidates who won spots in the general election decided to withdraw.
Some blamed the upheaval on the state's innovative voting system, while others trusted the decision-makers involved. The state will again be asked in fall whether to maintain or abandon the current voting method, with Maine being the only other state using ranked-choice voting for statewide races.
Written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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