In August, the voters of Alaska participated in a special election to fill the seat vacated by the late Rep. Don Young. Democrat Mary Peltola won the election against two Republican candidates, Sarah Palin and Nick Begich.
Republicans saw it as proof of how undemocratic ranked-choice voting is because more Alaska voters voted Republican than Democrat, yet a Democrat candidate won. The media, however, interpreted the results as proof that the expected red wave in November was dissipating.
Republicans have warned about the dangers of ranked-choice voting for some time now, and their claims have been routinely dismissed by the media. But this week, the liberal paper Politico accidentally said the quiet part out loud.
For our VIPs: Is Ranked-Choice Voting Anti-Democratic?
In a recent story on the Republican surge in the polls, Politico noted that “There are still some bright spots on the map for Democrats, including Alaska, where the state’s lone House seat is now rated ‘Lean Democratic’ after now-Rep. Mary Peltola’s surprise special-election victory this summer.”
According to the report, “Peltola’s victory in the August special election might have looked like a fluke. But the smart money is on history repeating.” And why is that? “It would be surprising to see either GOP candidate win another ranked-choice tabulation, if Peltola falls short of a majority on Election Day.”
So, in the same story in which Politico concedes a red wave is coming, they also admit that Democrats appear on the verge of winning a seat in a solidly red state for no other reason than its Ranked-Choice Voting system.
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