Alaska Dispute Over Two Dan Sullivans Tests Ranked-Choice Voting

Juneau, Alaska — A legal fight over two Senate candidates sharing the name Dan Sullivan is drawing fresh attention to ranked-choice voting, a ballot system used statewide in only two American states, Al Jazeera reported. The dispute, part of a lawsuit involving the Trump administration, centers on whether the matching names could split or cancel out votes before the Nov. 3 midterms.

What is ranked-choice voting?

Voters number candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one, according to Al Jazeera. If no candidate wins a majority outright, the last-place finisher is eliminated and that candidate's votes are redistributed to voters' next-ranked choice. The process repeats until one candidate clears a majority.

Which US states use it in 2026?

Only Alaska and Maine apply ranked-choice voting across their entire states, Al Jazeera reported, though individual cities — New York among them — have adopted the method for local races. Both Alaska and Maine use the system in federal contests, including the current Senate cycle.

Why does it matter in Alaska's Senate race?

The Alaska contest has drawn scrutiny because two candidates with nearly identical names, Dan Sullivan, are on the ballot, raising questions about whether confused or split rankings could affect the outcome, according to Al Jazeera. The matter is now the subject of a lawsuit tied to the Trump administration ahead of the Nov. 3 vote.

What do supporters say?

Proponents argue the system frees voters from strategic, lesser-of-two-evils calculations. Al Jazeera reported that supporters say the method lets people back their preferred candidate without fear of "wasting" a vote on someone unlikely to win. Backers also contend it curbs the spoiler effect — when a third-party or minor candidate siphons votes from an ideologically similar major-party rival — and gives candidates an incentive to court a broader range of voters.

Supporters say ranked-choice voting lets people vote for the candidate they prefer most "without the fear of 'wasting' their vote."

What do critics say?

Opponents counter that ranked ballots complicate both voting and counting, which can delay results and erode public confidence in outcomes, Al Jazeera reported. A 2025 study in the journal Political Behavior, cited by Al Jazeera, found that 4.8 percent of ranked-choice ballots were "improperly marked," though the study noted that not all such ballots are ultimately invalidated.

How does the ranked-choice tally actually run?

Election officials count first-choice votes first. If no one has a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is dropped, and ballots that ranked that candidate first are shifted to each voter's next choice. Rounds continue until a candidate crosses the 50-percent threshold, Al Jazeera reported.

By the numbers

• 2 — U.S. states (Alaska, Maine) using ranked-choice voting statewide, per Al Jazeera.
• 4.8% — share of ranked-choice ballots found "improperly marked" in a 2025 Political Behavior study cited by Al Jazeera.

Glossary

• Spoiler effect: when a minor candidate pulls votes from a similar major-party candidate, potentially changing the outcome.
• Majority threshold: the 50-percent-plus-one mark a candidate must reach to win outright in ranked-choice tallies.
• Instant runoff: the informal term for the round-by-round elimination process used to simulate multiple rounds of voting from a single ballot.