Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., fumed over Alaska's new voter-approved voting system after Democrat Mary Peltola defeated former Republican Gov. Sarah Palin in a special U.S. House election decided by ranked-choice voting.
Peltola, a former state representative, became the first Alaska Native elected to Congress on Wednesday after edging out Palin 51.5% to 48.5% in a special election to replace the late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. It was the state's first time using a ranked-choice voting system approved by voters in 2020. Under the rules, which are also used in New York City and other areas, voters can rank candidates in order of preference. If no one reaches 50% of the vote, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their votes are reallocated. The process continues until someone reaches a majority of the votes.
