Court keeps ‘Decoy Dan’ on Alaska ballot as expert warns ranked-choice system creates voter ‘traps’

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that Dan J. Sullivan, a candidate who shares a name with U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, can remain on the ballot for the upcoming election. The court rejected arguments that the similar name would confuse voters in Alaska's ranked-choice voting system. A voting systems expert told the court that ranked-choice voting can create situations where voters make unintended choices, though the expert did not specify how this applied to the Sullivan name issue. The decision allows both candidates to appear on the same ballot.

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