Alaska Senate race headed to ranked-choice runoff

The Alaska Senate race is headed to a ranked choice runoff, as no candidate on the ballot, including the top two vote-getters, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski and GOP challenger Kelly Tshibaka, will reach 50%, according to NBC News.

However the contest eventually shakes out, the seat will remain in GOP hands. The ranked-choice voting system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.

In ranked-choice elections, voters identify first choices on their ballots, then rank the other candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes on the first count, the election moves to an instant runoff. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and ballots cast for that candidate are recast for voters’ second choices. The process repeats until a candidate reaches a majority.

In 2020, Alaska voters approved a move to nonpartisan primaries that send the top four vote-getters to ranked choice general elections.

Along with Murkowski and Tshibaka, Democrat Patricia Chesbro and Republican Buzz Kelley advanced from the August primary — although Kelley dropped out of the race in September and endorsed Tshibaka. However, he still appeared on the ballot and drew votes.