The language of Ballot Measure 2 appears on Alaska’s 2024 absentee ballots. The measure would repeal the states open primary and ranked choice voting system. (Photo by Andrew Kitchenman/Alaska Beacon)
A day after the votes for keeping Alaska’s open primary and ranked choice voting system overtook those to repeal it, the vote count tightened on Tuesday.
The votes against the ballot measure to repeal the system are only 45 votes ahead of those in favor of repeal, after having a 192-vote lead on Monday. Until then, the votes to pass the measure had been ahead in the counting that began on Election Day.
The 45-vote margin is equal to just over 1/100th of 1 percentage point of the 315,633 votes counted on the ballot measure, which opens up the possibility of a recount after the results are certified, which is scheduled for Nov. 30.
Tuesday’s update added 1,577 votes to the Ballot Measure 2 count. All ballots were cast on or before Election Day, and the Alaska Division of Elections has been counting them ever since.