You’ve probably heard the noise. People calling it a "scam" or "too complicated for regular folks." But honestly? If you can rank your favorite ice cream flavors, you’ve basically mastered the most controversial thing to happen to the Last Frontier since the pipeline. The alaska ranked choice voting results from the 2024 cycle are officially in the books, and they tell a story that's way more nuanced than just "Democrats vs. Republicans."
It was close. Like, "don't breathe or you'll miss the shift" close.
What Really Happened with Measure 2
The biggest headline wasn't even a person. It was a question: Should we keep this system? Ballot Measure 2 was a high-stakes attempt to repeal the whole thing and go back to the old way of doing business—closed primaries and one-and-done voting.
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For weeks, the "Yes" on 2 crowd (the ones who wanted to kill the system) held a slim lead. It looked like the experiment was over. Then the absentee and questioned ballots started trickling in from the Bush and the urban hubs. Slowly, that lead evaporated.
The final alaska ranked choice voting results for the repeal were certified in December 2024 after a meticulous recount. The repeal failed by a razor-thin margin of just 743 votes. Out of over 320,000 ballots cast, the "No" side finished with 50.12%, while "Yes" sat at 49.88%.
That is a -0.23% margin. In the world of politics, that's essentially a tie that luckily leaned one way.
The House Race Flip: Begich vs. Peltola
If you want to see the system actually working—or failing, depending on who you ask—look at the U.S. House race. Mary Peltola, the incumbent Democrat who became a national sensation in 2022, was trying to hold off Republican Nick Begich III.
In the old system? Begich might have been worried about "spoiler" candidates like John Wayne Howe of the Alaska Independence Party. But with ranked choice, the math changes.
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- Round 1: Begich led with 48.4% of first-choice votes. Peltola was right behind at 46.3%.
- The Elimination: The smaller candidates (Howe and Eric Hafner) were knocked out.
- The Redistribution: This is where it gets interesting. A huge chunk of Howe's voters had Begich as their second choice.
When the dust settled on the final alaska ranked choice voting results, Begich crossed the finish line with 51.3% to Peltola's 48.7%. He didn't just win because of a fluke; he won because he was the preferred choice of a majority of Alaskans once the minor candidates were out of the picture.
Is it Actually "Too Confusing"?
There's this persistent myth that Alaskans are baffled by their ballots. The data says otherwise.
A poll from Patinkin Strategies found that 84% of Alaskans found the system "simple" to use. That’s nearly the same number as the 85% reported in 2022. It turns out that when you give people the chance to have a backup plan, they actually use it.
Interestingly, voters who chose "longshot" candidates were the most likely to rank a second or third choice. About 78% of people who voted for a third-party presidential candidate used their rankings. Meanwhile, people who voted for Trump or Harris were less likely to bother with a second choice. They knew their person was likely going the distance anyway.
The 2026 Ghost
Don't think this is over.
Because the 2024 repeal failed by such a tiny amount, the "Repeal Now" group is already back at it. They’ve already submitted over 48,000 signatures to put the exact same question back on the ballot for November 3, 2026.
The Alaska Legislature could technically step in and pass a law that’s "substantially the same" as the repeal, which would stop the ballot measure from happening. But in a state where the House and Senate are often run by bipartisan coalitions, getting everyone to agree on killing a system that arguably helped them get elected is a tall order.
What This Means for Your Next Vote
If you're an Alaskan—or just someone watching the "Alaska Model" to see if it's coming to your state—here is the reality.
- Moderation is incentivized: You can't just talk to your "base" and win. You need those second-place votes from the other guy's supporters.
- The "Spoiler" is dead: You can vote for the weird third-party candidate you actually like without "wasting" your vote.
- Results take time: Because of Alaska's geography and the 15-day window for overseas ballots, we usually won't know the final winner for at least two weeks.
The alaska ranked choice voting results show a state that is deeply divided but also deeply engaged. Whether you love it or hate it, the "instant runoff" isn't just a gimmick anymore; it's the law of the land, at least for now.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to stay ahead of the curve for the next cycle, start by checking your registration status on the Alaska Division of Elections website. Given that another repeal effort is likely hitting the ballot in 2026, understanding the difference between an "open primary" (where everyone is on one ballot) and a "partisan primary" (where you pick a party's ballot) is going to be vital. Take ten minutes to look at a sample ballot from the last election to see how the "Top Four" system actually looks on paper before the next noise-filled campaign season starts.