Special Report: Alaska's Senate Race Goes to Ranked Choice — Peltola's Narrow Lead, Two Sullivans, and a Nov. 18 Tabulation
Democrat Mary Peltola led Sen. Dan Sullivan by a few hundred first-choice votes with about 75% in, ABC News showed early Thursday. Ranked-choice results are due Nov. 18. Here is how the dual-name fight and RCV interact.
By Clara Hughes
Alaska is the other uncalled Senate seat that still can move the final map. Unlike Mississippi, Alaska does not finish on a simple plurality if nobody clears 50%. The Division of Elections says ranked-choice tabulation results will not be available until Nov. 18, once all eligible ballots are reviewed and counted. First-choice numbers, timestamped ABC News' results module, updating into Thursday, Nov. 5, showed Democrat Mary Peltola at 102,962 votes (48.2%) and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan at 102,325 (47.9%) with about 75% of the expected vote reporting — a first-choice lead of 637 votes. Neither candidate was near 50%. That continues the pattern from Wednesday. The Division of Elections' unofficial summary earlier showed Peltola ahead by 626 votes (102,701 to 102,075), the figure Altas cited in this morning's opinion. Alaska News reported a Wednesday afternoon update that added ballots and raised Peltola's first-choice lead to 637. Counts are moving; Altas will