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# BREAKING: Both Parties Lost in Alaska.
- URL: https://ivn.us/breaking-both-parties-lost-in-alaska/
- Published: 2026-11-06T15:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-06T15:29:59.000Z
- Description: Plus: pop-up super PACs spent millions with hidden donors, and the DSA machine falls short in California.
- Author: IVN Editorial Board
- Tags: Weekly Newsletter

For two days, the national press has kept Alaska's Ballot Measure 2, which would repeal the state's nonpartisan Top Four open primary and ranked choice general elections, in the “too close to call” column.

We called it Wednesday morning. Not on a hunch. On math.

In 2024, Alaska's late ballots broke 53.6% against repeal, and this year [**“No” led before the late count even began**](https://ivn.us/alaska-voters-reject-repeal-of-open-primaries-and-ranked-choice-voting-again/). Repeal would need a 17-point swing that nothing in Alaska's history suggests is coming.

So, for the second time in two years, Alaska voters kept their open primaries, ranked choice voting, and dark money disclosure rules. In a state where 63.8% of voters are registered independents, that is not a coincidence.

It fits the night's bigger story: [**the wave that showed up was not blue or red, it was independent**](https://ivn.us/independent-voters-crushed-republicans-but-democrats-shouldnt-get-too-comfortable/). We tracked every minute of it live, and the full breakdown is on EP66 below.

Check out more stories that go outside the two-sided narrative below.

### *FEATURED ▶▶▶*

## Alaska Voters Reject Repeal of Open Primaries and Ranked Choice Voting, Again

[![Alaska Ballot Measure 2 rejected](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/11/Alaska-Ballot-Measure-2-Sign-Rejected.png)](https://ivn.us/alaska-voters-reject-repeal-of-open-primaries-and-ranked-choice-voting-again/)

With an estimated 73 percent of votes counted, “No” leads 51.9 to 48.1\. **The ballots still outstanding are the same kind that sank the last repeal attempt by 743 votes.** The Editorial Board shows the math everyone else waited on.

[READ FULL ARTICLE](https://ivn.us/alaska-voters-reject-repeal-of-open-primaries-and-ranked-choice-voting-again/)

### *POST-ELECTION ANALYSIS ▶▶▶*

[Voters Fight Back Against Political Gatekeepers — And Stop Reform Repeal Again in Alaska ](https://ivn.us/voters-fight-back-against-political-gatekeepers-and-stop-reform-repeal-again-in-alaska/) 

By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/02/dJY12ln-_400x400.jpg) Shawn Griffiths 

[ ![Voters Fight Back Against Political Gatekeepers — And Stop Reform Repeal Again in Alaska](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/11/image-1b1f8b00-eb33-401b-a372-fd28911b98d9.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/voters-fight-back-against-political-gatekeepers-and-stop-reform-repeal-again-in-alaska/) 

[Pop-Up Super PACs with Undisclosed Donors Spent Millions Days Before Midterms. Yes, It's Legal. ](https://ivn.us/pop-up-super-pacs-with-undisclosed-donors-spent-millions-days-before-midterms-yes-its-legal/) 

By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/11/maia-cook.png) Maia Cook 

[ ![Pop-Up Super PACs with Undisclosed Donors Spent Millions Days Before Midterms. Yes, It's Legal.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/11/super-pac-midterrm-spending-1.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/pop-up-super-pacs-with-undisclosed-donors-spent-millions-days-before-midterms-yes-its-legal/) 

[Analysis: GOP Kicked Out Indiana Republicans Who Saved Them from Further Embarrassment ](https://ivn.us/analysis-gop-kicked-out-indiana-republicans-who-saved-them-from-further-embarrassment/) 

By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/02/dJY12ln-_400x400.jpg) Shawn Griffiths 

[ ![Analysis: GOP Kicked Out Indiana Republicans Who Saved Them from Further Embarrassment](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/11/image-0213534c-7ffe-41b3-ac3a-338367af62e3.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/analysis-gop-kicked-out-indiana-republicans-who-saved-them-from-further-embarrassment/) 

### *LATEST EPISODE ▶▶▶*

## Independent Voter Podcast

Chad Peace, Cara McCormick, Shawn Griffiths, and Ethan Handelman break down the upsets: **the wave that showed up on election night was driven by independent voters, not partisan loyalty**.

[WATCH NOW](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-EhIice72g&ref=ivn.us)

### *CALIFORNIA ▶▶▶*

## DSA Machine Falls Short in California's Open Dem v. Dem Races

[![Doris Matsui](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/11/doris-matsui.jpg)](https://ivn.us/dsa-machine-falls-short-in-californias-open-dem-v-dem-races/)

DSA and Working Families Party candidates won a few of California's same-party Democratic contests, but **fell short in most state legislative races against more moderate Democrats**. Cara Brown McCormick tallies the scoreboard.

[READ FULL ARTICLE](https://ivn.us/dsa-machine-falls-short-in-californias-open-dem-v-dem-races/)

### *INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES ▶▶▶*

## 6 Independents Lost and a 7th Trails in Alaska

[![Bill Hill on election day](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/11/bill-hill-election-day.jpg)](https://ivn.us/6-independents-lost-and-a-7th-trails-in-alaska/)

Six independent campaigns for Senate and the House came up short, and a seventh trails in Alaska as the count continues. **Losing on the scoreboard is not the same as losing ground.** Matt Shinners on what the numbers actually say.

[READ FULL ARTICLE](https://ivn.us/6-independents-lost-and-a-7th-trails-in-alaska/)

### *LIVE COVERAGE ▶▶▶*

## We Kept You Updated, Live

[![IVN 2026 live election coverage](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w1200/2026/11/ivn-election-night-2026-share.png)](https://ivn.us/live-election-2026/)

From November 2 through the final calls, our live tracker ran the nation's only election night coverage built for independent voters: **updates every few minutes, the gerrymander scoreboard, and members talking it out in the comments**. Missed the night? The whole thread is still there.

[REPLAY THE LIVE TRACKER](https://ivn.us/live-election-2026/)

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[ ![Oklahoma Supreme Court Grills Secretary of State over Rejected Top Two Signatures](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/11/oklahoma-supreme-court-sq-836.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/oklahoma-supreme-court-grills-secretary-of-state-over-rejected-top-two-signatures/) 

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[ ![Opinion: A Wealth Tax Would Harm California](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/10/california-prop-40-billionaire-tax.jpg) ](https://ivn.us/opinion-a-wealth-tax-would-harm-california/) 

[California Is Spending More on Ballot Measures Than the Rest of America Combined ](https://ivn.us/california-is-spending-more-on-ballot-measures-than-the-rest-of-america-combined/) 

By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/02/dJY12ln-_400x400.jpg) Shawn Griffiths 

[ ![California Is Spending More on Ballot Measures Than the Rest of America Combined](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w320/2026/11/image-82e2476e-3697-43a3-ac0e-275ca4ee1729.png) ](https://ivn.us/california-is-spending-more-on-ballot-measures-than-the-rest-of-america-combined/) 

[Mayor Karen Bass and Rick Caruso Discuss DWP Reforms and Efforts to Make LA Easier to Build ](https://ivn.us/mayor-karen-bass-and-rick-caruso-discuss-dwp-reforms-and-efforts-to-make-la-easier-to-build/) 

By ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/size/w30/2026/10/the-plsnning-report.jpg) The Planning Report 

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