Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleA dispute over two Senate candidates with nearly identical names in Alaska is drawing attention to ranked-choice voting, a system few US states use, Al Jazeera reports. The US midterm elections are set for November 3.
Two Sullivans on one ballot
Two candidates named Dan Sullivan appear on Alaska’s Senate ballot. Incumbent Senator Dan S Sullivan is listed as a registered Republican and as the incumbent. His challenger, retired teacher Daniel J Sullivan Jr, has no party label beside his name.
State officials have taken steps to tell the two apart. Al Jazeera notes that voters could still accidentally rank the wrong candidate, which could affect how votes move between rounds of counting.
The teacher’s candidacy has been controversial since a New York Times report signalled he may have been recruited by Democrats as a spoiler candidate. Republicans have raised concerns that the name overlap could confuse voters and draw support from the senator. The teacher says his candidacy is genuine. In June, the Alaska Supreme Court allowed the vote to go ahead with both men.
US President Donald Trump has sued Alaska, seeking to block certification of the Senate results if the incumbent loses. The suit argues that confusion over the names could affect the outcome. Alaska officials and Democrats are challenging it. Because the US Constitution leaves election administration to the states, the case has prompted concern that the federal government might interfere in Alaska’s count.
How ranked-choice voting works
Voters number candidates in order of preference instead of picking one. If a candidate wins more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, that candidate wins outright.
If nobody does, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Their ballots go to the voters’ next-ranked choices, and the votes are counted again. The process repeats until one candidate holds a majority of the votes still in play.
If a voter ranks only one candidate and that person is eliminated, the ballot cannot transfer. Unlike a traditional runoff, the system can decide a winner in a single election without a second trip to the polls.
Alaska and Maine are the only states that use it statewide. Maine adopted it in 2016 after concerns about candidates winning without majority support, and first used it in congressional elections in 2018. Alaska voters approved it in a 2020 ballot initiative. Alaska holds open primaries, and the top four candidates advance to a general election decided by ranked-choice voting.
Supporters, critics and wider use
Supporters say the system frees voters from having to vote strategically, so they can back their favourite without fear of wasting a vote. They also argue it reduces the spoiler effect, in which a lesser-known candidate draws votes from a similar major-party rival. They add that it encourages a wider range of viewpoints and gives candidates a reason to work together.
Critics say it makes voting and counting more complicated and could slow results, undermining confidence in the outcome. A 2025 study in the journal Political Behavior cited data suggesting 4.8 percent of ranked-choice ballots are improperly marked, though not all of them are invalidated.
Beyond the two states, ranked-choice voting is used in local elections in places including New York City and San Francisco. Hawaii uses it for certain special elections, and Washington, DC, adopted it for federal and local elections starting in 2026. Virginia approved legislation earlier this year to expand its use. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, an estimated 19 states have laws prohibiting or restricting it.
Source: Al Jazeera
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
