Depolarizing Effect of Ranked Choice Voting?: Implications of the 2022 Alaska Mid-term Elections

Abstract

This article evaluates the ranked choice voting(RCV) system Alaskan voters used in the 2022 mid-term elections. It examines the significances of the new electoral system in regards to American politics and also for other countries including South Korea. Following today’s central talking point on RCV, this article focuses on its depolarizing effect and pro-centrist trait. The process and result of 2022 Alaska elections, in which a moderate Democrat(Peltola) won a House seat and a moderate Republican(Murkowski) won a Senate seat, indicate a positive role of RCV in reducing polarized confrontations and promoting centrist moderation. The future of RCV, however, is far from optimistic, given some political obstacles against adopting it nationwide or worldwide.