(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) A convoluted ranked-voting system meant to dilute chances of strong, pro-freedom Republicans from winning at the polls, coupled with dubious mail-in voting, helped a pro-abortion, leftist beat Trump-endorsed Sarah Palin in Alaska’s special House race to fill the seat left open after the death of Republican Rep. Don Young.
After two rounds Wednesday of ranked-choice culling and attrition of candidates split enough votes to knock out Republican Nick Begich and turn the tide against Palin, Democrat Mary Peltola was able to wring 51.74% of the votes with Palin grabbing 48.53%.
Ranked choice voting is a scam https://t.co/ahb3JqM14z
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 1, 2022
Peltola became the first Democrat in a half-century to win a House seat in deep red Alaska, a state Trump carried by 10 points in 2020.
While Palin lost Wednesday’s tilt, she gets another shot at Peltola in November when the two again face-off to determine who gets the House seat for the full two-year term.
Palin blasted the ranked-voting system after Wednesday’s results were announced, calling it “crazy, convoluted, confusing,” and she wasn’t alone with that assessment.
“Ranked choice voting is an attack on democracy,” wrote Act for America’s Brigitte Gabriel.
60% of Alaska voters voted for a Republican, but thanks to a convoluted process and ballot exhaustion—which disenfranchises voters—a Democrat “won.”
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) September 1, 2022
The voting scheme has drawn high praise and promotion from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, RINO-Alaska, who used it to help secure her own primary win in August.
Two Murkowski campaign staffers confirmed that their boss backed ranked-voting because it gave squishy Republicans better odds, even if it pushed a “progressive” leftist agenda.
To beat back that agenda and regain the House seat, Palin on Wednesday said she welcomed November’s head-to-head tilt against Peltola.
“Though we’re disappointed in this outcome, Alaskans know I’m the last one who’ll ever retreat,” Palin said.
