Alaska's Ranked Vote System Forces Extended Wait for Senate and Governor Winners

Alaska elections officials expect to finalize the results for the U.S. Senate and governor races on November 18. This extended timeline allows the state to receive and process ballots from overseas voters. The delay follows a standard procedure in the state that permits international mail-in votes to arrive up to 15 days after the election date.

The state uses a ranked-choice voting system for general elections. If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the lower-ranked candidates are eliminated. The process continues until one candidate holds a majority of the remaining support. This mechanism may determine the winners in the two most contested races on the ballot.

Two-term Republican Senator Dan Sullivan faces Democratic former Representative Mary Peltola in the Senate contest. The race has drawn national attention due to a legal dispute involving a candidate named Dan J. Sullivan. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit last month to block the certification of the race if the incumbent lost. The suit alleged confusion with the other candidate on the ballot. A federal judge dismissed the case, but the department has appealed the decision.

The New York Times reported last week that top aides to Peltola helped recruit the other Sullivan. The report cited interviews with a former campaign manager and financial documents. Peltola denied any involvement in the recruiting effort. Dan J. Sullivan has stated he did not run at the direction of Democrats. His campaign has not responded to recent requests for comment.

Sullivan’s campaign expressed confidence in its candidate on Wednesday. The group cited a major election cheating scandal and a difficult national environment for Republicans. Peltola told supporters Tuesday night that the count would require time. She noted that rural communities often rely on air or water access for mail delivery. She emphasized the need to count votes from service members and students abroad.

In the governor’s race, former state legislator Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins seeks to become the first Democrat to hold the office in a generation. He competes against three Republican candidates. The field includes business owner Bernadette Wilson, who received an endorsement from President Donald Trump. The other Republican candidates are former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and former state Attorney General Treg Taylor.

Kreiss-Tomkins described himself as a consensus builder during a speech to supporters on election night. He stated he would work across party lines to address state challenges. State Republican leaders urged their voters to rank the three GOP candidates to improve the party’s chances of winning. President Trump previously criticized ranked voting as a scam and targeted the two non-endorsed Republican candidates on social media.

Bernadette Wilson issued a statement on Wednesday describing her outlook as cautiously optimistic. The race to succeed term-limited Governor Mike Dunleavy will be decided by the same ranked-choice process. Alaska last had a Democratic governor in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Tony Knowles served two consecutive terms from 1994 to 2002.

Voters also considered a ballot measure to repeal the state’s unique election system. The system, which uses open primaries and ranked-choice general elections, took effect in 2022. Voters approved the measure in 2020. A previous repeal effort failed by a narrow margin in 2024. The current ballot question asks voters to decide the system's fate for the second time in two years.

State elections officials will continue processing ballots through the mid-November deadline. The final tabulation will reflect all valid votes cast within the state and from overseas. The results will determine the composition of the state’s executive branch and its representation in the U.S. Senate.