Alaska GOP votes to oppose ranked-choice voting as repeal heads to November ballot

By SUZANNE DOWNING

The Alaska Republican Party State Central Committee voted today to formally oppose ranked-choice voting, adopting a resolution during its meeting as a repeal effort advances toward the November general election ballot.

The resolution comes after petitioners gathered enough signatures to place a repeal of ranked-choice voting (RCV) before voters this fall. Alaska adopted RCV in 2020 by a narrow margin—50.55% of the vote—after an initiative that also created “jungle” primaries in which all candidates run together, regardless of party affiliation, with the top finishers advancing to the general election.

RCV was first implemented in the 2022 election cycle. Critics within the Alaska GOP argue the system has shifted outcomes to the political left, pointing in particular to the election of Democrat Mary Peltola to Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House, as well as changes in the composition of some legislative seats.

An earlier attempt to repeal ranked-choice voting appeared on the 2024 ballot but failed by roughly 700 votes. That effort drew national attention as well-funded Outside groups poured money into Alaska to oppose the repeal, helping preserve the system by a razor-thin margin.

This year’s initiative is different. The group, calling itself Repeal Now, is not the same organization that led the 2024 campaign. Backers say one of their main goals is to avoid what they describe as confusing ballot language that tripped up voters in the previous election.

Instead of modifying pieces of the system, the 2026 initiative seeks a full rollback of the law approved in 2020, eliminating both the nonpartisan jungle primary and ranked-choice voting in general elections, and restoring Alaska’s former primary and general election structure.

With the Alaska Republican Party’s governing body, meeting in Anchorage all day Saturday, now on record opposing ranked-choice voting, the issue is expected to become a central focus of the 2026 campaign season.

Conversely, the Alaska Democratic Party has supported ranked-choice voting since its implementation.