Vance Questions Ranked-Choice Voting In Alaska Senate Fight
The vice president said the system is confusing despite his law degree, drawing comparisons to the Electoral College.
By Jack Weber ·
Vice President JD Vance questioned the mechanics of ranked-choice voting on Thursday. He spoke about the method while addressing the current U.S. Senate race controversy in Alaska. Residents of that state voted to adopt the system in 2020.
Vance told reporters he does not fully understand how the process works. He noted that Alaska approved the method four years ago. He described his own view of elections in simple terms. He said the person who wins the most votes should take the office.
"It seems to me that you have an election, the person who wins the most votes should win. That seems to be not what happens with ranked-choice voting," Vance said. He added that the system is confusing to someone who pays close attention to politics. He suggested the country should use what he called the normal way to hold elections.
Polls show a majority of American voters support ranked-choice voting. This includes voters in Alaska. Vance’s comments drew immediate attention online. Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America, posted on X that Vance would react well when hearing about the Electoral College.
Other users pointed out that Donald Trump won the presidency without the popular vote. They noted that the candidate with the most votes does not always become president. Steven Monacelli, a correspondent for The Texas Observer, called Vance’s comment an indictment against Ivy League institutions. Another user described Vance as a professional at pretending to be a dummy.
Vance is a Yale Law School graduate. He has served as vice president since taking office. His comments highlight a specific tension in the current Senate race. The Alaska election uses the ranked-choice method to determine the winner.
