Alaska Election: Ranked Choice Voting and the Sullivan Confusion
Alaska voters face a complex ballot process Tuesday as a federal judge blocks a Trump administration lawsuit over the Senate race.
By Jabari Long ·
Alaska election officials are targeting Nov. 25 to certify results in a Senate race that may require weeks of tabulation due to the state's ranked choice voting system. This timeline is nearly 15 days longer than the date when ballots stop being counted. The process creates a unique delay for a state whose geography and mail ballot rules already stretch the certification window.
The ranked choice voting method, first used in 2022, allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting a single choice. In the general election, the top four candidates from the nonpartisan primary advance to a final vote. If no candidate secures more than 50% of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Their supporters' votes are then redistributed to their second choices. This cycle repeats until one candidate achieves a majority.
Alaska’s Senate race features four candidates: incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, a Republican; Democrat Mary Peltola; Republican Gerald Heikes; and Daniel J. Sullivan, a former teacher. The presence of two Dan Sullivans has raised concerns about voter confusion. The state supreme court ruled in the summer that Daniel J. Sullivan could remain on the ballot after a legal challenge. In the August primary, Peltola received 49.5% of the vote, Dan S. Sullivan received 41.4%, and Daniel J. Sullivan received 2.5%.
The general election ballot lists the incumbent as “Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent.” Daniel J. Sullivan appears with no additional identifiers. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit late last month to block certification of the results if the incumbent loses. However, a federal judge ruled on Sunday that the federal government lacked the legal right to sue. The Justice Department has stated it will appeal the decision.
President Trump criticized Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy in a Truth Social post shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday. The president called the retired teacher a “FAKE” candidate who is “MISSING IN ACTION.” Trump wrote that the candidate may have been “KIDNAPPED” by “CORRUPT DUMOCRAT LAWYERS” who are “SCARED STIFF” of prosecution for election fraud.
Experts warn that the counting process will take time due to Alaska’s remote locations and the volume of mail ballots. The state counts mail ballots received up to 10 days after Election Day, or 15 days in some cases. The ranked choice tabulation rounds begin only after the final count of these ballots, which occurs 15 days after Election Day. If no candidate wins an outright majority in the first round, the elimination process could extend the wait for certified results.
In 2022, Peltola won her congressional seat through the ranked choice process after no candidate secured a majority in the first round. She later won a full term with 55% of the vote after starting with 48.8% in the first round. The current Senate race could determine control of the upper chamber in Washington. Voters are casting ballots Tuesday in a contest that has drawn national attention for its procedural complexities and legal battles.
