The Alaska Division of Elections released a new batch of ballot results Monday. These were straggler absentee ballots from the Nov. 5 election, and the result shows that suddenly the repeal of ranked-choice voting with Ballot Measure 2 is losing. Earlier reports showed it winning.
The No to repealing the ranked-choice voting is now at 157,124, or just over 50%, while those who want to repeal RCV are at 156,932, 49.97%.
The difference is 192 votes. All the 3,928 ballots counted and reported today were absentee ballots from House Districts 9-24 in Anchorage.
There may be up to 6,000 left to count on Tuesday and Wednesday, but it’s not clear from the information being released by the Division of Elections just how many it has. The Valley absentee votes have yet to be counted, it appears, and Fairbanks is also in play for its absentee votes. They have yet to finish counting Districts 25 through 36 absentee.
According to Phil Izon, one of the people who pushed for a repeal, the timeline of how the votes have gone on Ballot Measure 2 over the past 14 days is as follows:
11/05 – (Election Day)
Yes to Repeal – 113,708 – 51.30%
No to Repeal – 107,946 – 48.70%
11/06 –
Yes to Repeal – 125,230 – 50.87%
No to Repeal – 120,941 – 49.13%
11/07 –
Yes to Repeal – 125,489 – 50.83%
No to Repeal – 121,367 – 49.17%
11/08-
Yes to Repeal – 125,610 – 50.84%
No to Repeal – 121,473 – 49.16%
11/09 – No Results Updated
11/10 – No Results Updated
11/11 – No Results Updated
11/12 – No Results Updated
11/13-
Yes to Repeal – 146,182 – 50.4%
No to Repeal – 143,770 – 49.6%
11/14 –
Yes to Repeal – 146,202 – 50.4%
No to Repeal – 143,777 – 49.6%
11/15 –
Yes to Repeal – 152,915 – 50.3%
No to Repeal – 151,239 – 49.7%
11/16 –
Yes to Repeal – 155,592- 50.1%
No to Repeal – 154,697 – 49.9%
11/17 – No Results Updated
11/18 –
Yes to Repeal – 156,932 – 49.97%
No to Repeal – 157,124 – 50.03%
Also, in this latest tranche of ballots, Democrat Rep. Mary Peltola has gained more votes, but is still losing.
Rep. Cliff Groh, the Democrat who represents District 18, north Anchorage. Groh gained 15 votes and now has a lead of 25 over challenger David Nelson, the Republican.
The total number of ballots counted now is 332,386 out of the 611,078 registered voters in Alaska. Not all voters voted in every race on the ballot.
