Summary
A major political upset in Alaska as a Democrat won the state’s only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Former state lawmaker Mary Peltola defeated former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in a special election to replace former Congressman Don Young, who died earlier this year. It's also the state's first election using ranked-choice voting. Click here for a transcript of the story. ranked-choice voting (a.k.a. preferential voting or ranked voting ) — any voting system in which voters rank their choice of candidates rather than simply choosing one preferred candidate. The top ranked candidates may then compete in a run-off or have second or third choice votes assigned to them until there is a clear majority winner. You may also choose another story from the newscast by clicking the link below and answering the following questions:
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What students can do : Learn more about ranked-choice voting using the article, Explainer: How Alaska's new voting system helped deliver historic win for U.S. Democrats . Then have a conversation with a peer or family member about whether they think ranked-choice voting makes the electoral process more representative of the will of the people.Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.