Welcome Demise of Ranked-Choice Voting

On Tuesday, Donald Trump secured his comeback to the White House. But Tuesday should also be remembered as the day that ranked-choice voting died — except in Washington, D.C., where bad ideas live in perpetuity.

Alaskans voted on Tuesday on whether or not to repeal the state’s ranked-choice voting system. In 2020, Alaskans approved a 25-page initiative promising a better elections process and the elimination of “dark money” influence in campaigns. The initiative, financed by national progressive advocacy groups under the banner of Alaskans for Better Elections, passed by a margin of about 3,700 votes. Maine has used ranked-choice voting in statewide elections since 2016.

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About the Author

Sarah Montalbano

Sarah Montalbano is a policy fellow at Center of the American Experiment. She was formerly a policy analyst at Alaska Policy Forum.

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On Tuesday, Donald Trump secured his comeback to the White House. But Tuesday should also be remembered as the day that ranked-choice voting died — except in Washington, D.C., where bad ideas live in perpetuity.

Alaskans voted on Tuesday on whether or not to repeal the state’s ranked-choice voting system. In 2020, Alaskans approved a 25-page initiative promising a better elections process and the elimination of “dark money” influence in campaigns. The initiative, financed by national progressive advocacy groups under the banner of Alaskans for Better Elections, passed by a margin of about 3,700 votes. Maine has used ranked-choice voting in statewide elections since 2016.