Alaska retained ranked choice voting after residents defeated a ballot measure to repeal the reform system by a close margin, according to state elections officials. Unofficial results show Alaskans voted 50.

The historic increase in representation of women came in Alaska even as voters did not reelect U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, the first woman and first Alaska Native person to represent the state in the U.S. House. Peltola was voted out in favor of Republican Nick Begich III.

Alaska's election has entered its final stage, after ballot counting concluded Wednesday. The results aren't finalized until a state review board completes its work, which is set to occur by the end of the month.

The G.O.P. united behind Nick Begich III, the conservative son of a prominent liberal Alaska political family, to beat Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat.

By the narrowest of margins, Alaska will keep its ranked choice voting (RCV) system. In 2020, Alaskan voters passed Ballot Measure 2, which replaced the state's traditional voting system with RCV. The measure passed narrowly,

The narrow vote to keep RCV in Alaska is great news for Lisa Murkowski but didn’t save Mary Peltola. Meanwhile, RCV lost in five other states.

A final ballot count by Alaska’s election workers on Wednesday cemented the narrow lead for supporters of Alaska’s ranked choice voting and open primary system, who sought to defeat a ballot measure that would have done away with the state’s new voting process.

Republican Nick Begich wins election to U.S. House in Alaska's at-large Congressional District, beating incumbent Mary Peltola

Alaska’s open primary and ranked choice voting system survived, while Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich defeated Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, according to the unofficial results released on Wednesday.

After ranked choice tabulation on Wednesday, Begich had 51.3% of the vote to incumbent U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola’s 48.7%.

Republican Nick Begich ousted incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) on Wednesday, a victory two weeks after Election Day that will help the GOP pad its narrow House majority. The Associated Press called the race for Begich shortly after 9 p.