As Expected, Alaska Measure 2 Recount Didn't Change Anything

silhouette of a hand putting a ballot in a box.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Shawn GriffithsShawn Griffiths
Published: 10 Dec, 2024
1 min read

The recount in Alaska over Ballot Measure 2 is complete. The state's Republican Party requested it after voters rejected the initiative and chose to keep their nonpartisan election system by a narrow margin. But as predicted on IVN, this margin wasn't narrow enough for the results to change.

In fact, it grew a little in No's favor.

There were early signs that the recount wouldn't result in anything other than a waste in taxpayer-funded resources, including research ahead of the 2024 election that found that the odds of a recount changing the outcome drop to zero when the margin of victory or defeat is higher than 0.1% of the vote.

The processes US states use for vote counting have also been found to be so accurate that as rare as complete recounts are in the US, it is even rarer that they result in a vote change in the triple digits. The initial vote count on Measure 2 showed "No" winning by 664 votes, or about 0.2% of the vote.

When state officials double checked their work ahead of certifying the election results on November 30, they found that "No" actually won by 737 votes. However, because the margin was still under 0.5%, the state proceeded with the recount. On Monday, December 9, state officials found that the vote margin grew even more to 743 votes

The matter is now settled. Alaska will keep its nonpartisan top four primary, open to all voters and candidates, and will continue to use ranked choice voting in the general election. 

You Might Also Like

Supreme Court of the United States
Forward Party Joins Petition to SCOTUS Against State of Florida
Right now, the divide between the Republican and Democratic Parties appears beyond repair. The political rhetoric is toxic, the nation’s leadership puts party gain before lasting solutions, and few voters actually feel heard by the people elected to represent them. At a time when it seems things will only get worse from here, the Independent Voter Project filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court along with Open Primaries and the Forward Party in support of a lawsuit that targets one of the biggest culprits behind all of this....
16 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read
Person placing vote in ballot box.
Vote Nevada Targets Gerrymandering and Closed Primaries with Two New Ballot Measures
Vote Nevada PAC filed two constitutional amendment initiatives Tuesday aimed at transforming how Nevadans vote – and how maps are drawn. The group argues that its proposals will ensure a redistricting process free of corruption while guaranteeing all voters equal access to the ballot....
11 Sep, 2025
-
6 min read
How It Really Works Voter Rights
How It Really Works: Does Your Vote Even Matter?
Imagine showing up to vote in November, proud that you are doing your civic duty, only to learn that the real contest happened six months ago without you. The winner was decided in a low-turnout primary while you were busy living your life. This is not a conspiracy. It is how the system was built. ...
10 Sep, 2025
-
12 min read
Will the Texas Republican Party be Successful Where the Hawaiian Democratic Party Failed?
Will the Texas Republican Party be Successful Where the Hawaiian Democratic Party Failed?
The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) is suing Secretary of State Jane Nelson in an effort to close the state’s primary elections to party members only – a move that the Democratic Party of Hawaii (DPH) tried back in 2013 in its state and failed. ...
05 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read
Supreme Court building.
Retired Attorney Takes Voting Rights Case All the Way to the Supreme Court -- By Himself
The next big voting rights case the Supreme Court of the United States could consider wasn’t filed by the ACLU, the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, or another household name when it comes to voter rights. ...
09 Sep, 2025
-
5 min read
congress flag
Poll: 82% of Americans Want Redistricting Done by Independent Commission, Not Politicians
There may be no greater indication that voters are not being listened to in the escalating redistricting war between the Republican and Democratic Parties than a new poll from NBC News that shows 8-in-10 Americans want the parties to stop....
10 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read