Ranked-Choice Voting News Roundup - October 2026
by Staff
Welcome to our weekly news roundup, where we highlight the top stories surrounding ranked-choice voting—both opposing and supporting—throughout the nation.
Week of October 4
The Maine Wire’s Guide to Casting Your Ballot
The Maine Wire | October 9, 2026
The Maine Wire’s voting guide notes that ranked-choice voting applies this November only to Maine’s U.S. Senate race and the 2nd Congressional District race, because of declared write-in candidates. It does not apply to the governor’s race under state law and the Maine Constitution.
Trump knocks Alaska voting system: ‘How stupid are we to do this?’
The Hill | October 9, 2026
President Trump criticized Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system on Truth Social, calling it a “corrupt” and “stupid” setup that “shouldn’t be allowed.” Voters adopted a top-four nonpartisan primary plus ranked-choice general election in 2020; a November ballot measure to repeal it has his support after a similar effort narrowly failed in 2024.
Fairfax leaders urged to consider ranked-choice voting for upcoming supervisor races
FFX Now | October 6, 2026
A Fairfax County student and advocacy-group member urged the Board of Supervisors to study ranked-choice voting for the 2027 supervisor races, which Virginia law already lets localities adopt without a referendum.