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Ranked-Choice Voting in Alaska and Maine, Explained (2026)

Facts checked Oct. 28, 2026 · Jamoke News does not project winners or call races; results link to the AP.

Alaska and Maine are the only two states that use ranked-choice voting in some statewide general elections. In 2026 that covers both states’ U.S. Senate races, which the Cook Political Report rates as toss-ups.

How a ranked-choice count works

Voters rank candidates in order of preference and may rank as many or as few as they like. If a candidate wins a majority (50% plus one) of first choices, that candidate wins. If not, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those ballots move to each voter’s next choice. Rounds continue until one candidate has a majority of the remaining votes. A ballot that ranks only one candidate counts for that candidate throughout.

Sources: Alaska Division of Elections: election information and ranked-choice voting · Maine Monitor (via Penobscot Bay Press): How ranked-choice voting works in Maine, Oct. 22, 2026

Alaska

• Approved by voters in a 2020 initiative and first used in the Aug. 16, 2022 special general election.
• The top four finishers in an open, all-candidate primary advance to the general election, where voters rank them.
• Used for president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and lieutenant governor, and the state Legislature.
• 2026: the Senate ballot lists Republicans Dan S. Sullivan (the incumbent), Dan J. Sullivan and Gerald Heikes and Democrat Mary Peltola; the governor’s ballot lists Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Republicans Dave Bronson, Treg Taylor and Bernadette Wilson.
• Timing: first-choice results on election night; ranked-choice tabulation scheduled for Nov. 18, 2026, after the last ballots are counted.

Sources: Alaska Division of Elections: election information and ranked-choice voting · Alaska Division of Elections: 2026 general election results page · Alaska Public Media: What to know about Alaska's general election · Wikipedia: 2026 United States Senate elections (nominee lists, sourced to state election offices)

Alaska 2026 election guide →

Maine

• Adopted by referendum in 2016 and used since 2018.
• Used in primaries for state and federal offices and in general elections for federal offices. Because of the state constitution, it is not used in general elections for governor or the Legislature, which are decided by plurality.
• It is used only when a race has at least three candidates, including declared write-ins.
• 2026: ranked-choice voting applies to the U.S. Senate race (Sen. Susan Collins, R, vs. Troy Jackson, D, plus six declared write-ins) and the 2nd Congressional District (Paul LePage, R, vs. Matt Dunlap, D, plus an independent), but not to the governor’s race.
• If no one tops 50% of first choices, the Secretary of State runs a central tabulation.

Sources: Maine Monitor (via Penobscot Bay Press): How ranked-choice voting works in Maine, Oct. 22, 2026 · FairVote: Which Maine elections will use ranked choice voting this November? · Maine Secretary of State: ranked choice voting information

Maine 2026 election guide →