Alaska's ranked-choice voting puts unlikely longshot candidates on ballot
Summary
Alaska’s November election ballot includes unusual candidates due to its ranked-choice voting system. In the Senate race, two candidates share the same name, and in the House race, a felon serving a prison sentence is on the ballot.Key Facts
- Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates by preference.
- In the 2024 Senate race, GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola are the main contenders.
- A challenger named Daniel J. Sullivan, sharing the same name as the incumbent senator, is also on the ballot after appealing a decision to remove him.
- The House race includes GOP Rep. Nick Begich and Independent Bill Hill as top candidates.
- Democrat Eric Hafner, a convicted felon serving 20 years in New York prison, is on the Alaska ballot.
- Candidate Matt Schultz suspended his campaign and will not be on the ballot.
- Alaska’s election system changed in 2020 to reduce political polarization by using a nonpartisan primary and ranked-choice voting.
- Alaska has a history of unusual election outcomes, such as Senator Lisa Murkowski's 2010 write-in victory after losing the GOP primary.
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