Trump Calls For Alaska To Repeal Ranked Choice Voting
President Donald Trump urged Alaskans to repeal ranked choice voting during a Tuesday night rally for Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, calling the system a “scam” and backing Ballot Measure 2.
“Any place you have ranked choice, you have damn bad cheating,” Trump told the crowd in Wasilla. He offered no evidence for the accusation, and the report did not establish that Alaska’s system has enabled fraud.
A yes vote on Ballot Measure 2 would repeal ranked choice voting and Alaska’s open primary system. Trump clarified that voters should vote yes if they support repeal.
The appeal comes as Sullivan faces a competitive challenge from former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, and as another candidate with a similar name appears on the ballot. Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, is also running for the Senate seat. Trump and other Republicans have accused Democrats of backing the second Sullivan to siphon votes from the incumbent, but that allegation has not been established. Election officials have added identifying initials to help distinguish the candidates. Trump has urged voters to support the incumbent, whom he calls the “real” Dan Sullivan.
Alaska’s current system puts candidates from all parties in one primary, with the top four advancing to the general election. Voters may rank those candidates by preference. If no one wins a majority of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those ballots transfer to the voters’ next choice. The process continues until a candidate reaches the required majority.
Supporters say ranking allows voters to support a first-choice candidate without worrying about splitting votes among candidates with similar views. Critics say the system is harder to follow and can produce results that differ from a traditional one-vote count.
Ballot Measure 2 would restore party primaries and general elections in which voters select one candidate. It also addresses campaign finance provisions adopted alongside the current voting system in 2020. Alaskans approved ranked choice voting that year and rejected a repeal effort in 2024.
The measure would not change the rules for the Senate contest already underway, where voters will need to distinguish between the two Dan Sullivans. The race could have national consequences if the seat helps determine control of the Senate.
A repeal would also require the state to implement a different election system. The Alaska Public Offices Commission estimated the changes would cost approximately $2.6 million, The Washington Examiner reported.