A legal and political dispute in Alaska involving two Senate candidates with nearly identical names has brought ranked-choice voting, a relatively uncommon electoral system in the United States, into the national spotlight ahead of the 3 November midterm elections.
The controversy centres on the Senate race between incumbent Republican Senator Dan S Sullivan and challenger Daniel J Sullivan Jr, a retired teacher running without party affiliation. Concerns have emerged that voters could confuse the two candidates, potentially leading to accidental vote transfers during the multi-round counting process, reports Al Jazeera.
Republican figures have expressed concern that the retired teacher’s candidacy could divert crucial votes from the incumbent. The concerns followed a New York Times report suggesting that Democrats may have recruited him as a spoiler candidate. However, Daniel J Sullivan Jr maintains that his candidacy is genuine. In June, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that both candidates could remain on the ballot.
Amid the controversy, US President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Alaska, seeking to prevent the state from certifying the Senate election results if Senator Dan S Sullivan loses. The lawsuit argues that confusion over the candidates’ names could affect the final outcome.
State officials and Democrats are challenging the case, citing constitutional principles that place responsibility for administering elections with individual states. They have also raised concerns about potential federal interference in Alaska’s vote count.
How the ranked-choice voting system works
Under ranked-choice voting, electors rank candidates in order of preference on a single ballot instead of voting for just one candidate. A candidate who receives more than 50 per cent of first-preference votes wins outright.
If no candidate secures a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Their ballots are then transferred to the voters’ second-choice candidates. The process continues through successive rounds until a candidate secures a majority of the votes remaining in the final round.
Unlike conventional runoff elections, which require voters to return to polling stations, ranked-choice voting allows the contest to be decided through a single election. However, ballots listing only an eliminated candidate cannot be transferred to another candidate.
Supporters argue that the system allows voters to choose their preferred candidates without worrying about wasting their votes on less popular contenders. They also say it can reduce the spoiler effect, encourage candidates to work together and promote greater political diversity.
Critics, however, argue that ranked-choice voting makes ballot counting more complicated, potentially delaying results and undermining public confidence in election outcomes.
A 2025 study published in the journal Political Behavior found that 4.8 per cent of ranked-choice ballots were improperly marked, although it noted that not all such ballots were invalidated.
Statewide adoption and expansion
Alaska and Maine are currently the only two US states to use ranked-choice voting statewide.
Maine adopted the system in 2016 amid concerns about candidates winning elections without majority support. It was first used in congressional elections in 2018.
In Alaska, voters approved the system through a 2020 ballot initiative. It introduced open primaries in which the top four candidates advance to a ranked-choice general election.
To reduce the risk of confusion in the upcoming Senate race, Alaska election officials have explicitly identified Senator Dan S Sullivan as the incumbent Republican candidate, while Daniel J Sullivan Jr is listed without a party affiliation.
Ranked-choice voting is also used in several municipal elections across the United States, including in New York City and San Francisco, as well as in certain special elections in Hawaii.
Washington, DC, adopted the system for federal and local elections starting in 2026, while Virginia enacted legislation earlier this year to expand its use.
Despite its adoption in several jurisdictions, ranked-choice voting remains controversial across the country. According to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, an estimated 19 states have laws restricting or prohibiting the system.
