安克雷奇——阿拉斯加共和党人多年来一直抨击排序选择投票制。现在，一些人担心这可能在关键的参议院选举中让他们付出代价。
ANCHORAGE — Alaska Republicans have railed for years against ranked-choice voting. Now some worry it could cost them in a critical Senate race.
共和党参议员丹·S·沙利文不仅要面对四人参选的大选中知名的前民主党众议员玛丽·佩尔托拉，还要面对一名同名挑战者。共和党人认为，这名挑战者可能在势均力敌的竞争中分走他的选票。
GOP Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is facing not only well-known former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola in the four-way general-election field, but a same-name challenger who Republicans think could siphon votes from him in the close contest.
一些共和党操盘手担心，这位参议员会失去第一选择选票，流向退休教师丹·J·沙利文 Jr.，并且，这位长期竞争对手的支持者可能根本不会在该州的特殊选举制度中将现任议员列为备选。在该制度下，选民可以选择备选方案，如果没有候选人在初始投票中获得超过50%的选票，这些备选方案将被计入。两项最近模拟排序选择计票的民调显示，佩尔托拉获胜。
Some GOP operatives fear the senator will lose first-choice votes to retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan Jr. — and that supporters of his longshot rival might not rank the incumbent at all in the state’s unusual election system where voters can pick backup options that get counted if no candidate clears 50% of the initial vote. Two recent polls that simulated ranked-choice tabulations showed Peltola as the victor.
沙利文的盟友、运营支持该参议员的超级政治行动委员会的阿特·哈克尼表示，丹·J·沙利文“会获得一定比例的选票”，并警告说，这“可能”对选举结果产生“重大影响”。
Art Hackney, a Sullivan ally who runs a super PAC boosting the senator, said Dan J. Sullivan is “going to get a percent of the vote” and warned it could be “potentially” be "significant in terms of impacting" the result of the race.
“沙利文可以获胜……但这会让他难上加难，”一名负责其他阿拉斯加选举的共和党操盘手补充道。“选举的胜负将取决于这一点：如果他输了，那肯定就是因为这个。如果他赢了，那也将是尽管存在这个因素。”共和党人多年来一直抱怨这一制度，该制度允许选民排序偏好，并淘汰候选人，直到有人获得多数票，他们称其为“昂贵”和“令人困惑”，并认为这削弱了他们的党派。
"Sullivan can win ... but it makes it a heck of a lot harder,” added a Republican operative working on other Alaska races. “It’s what the race is going to come down to: If he loses, it'll for sure be because of that. And if he wins, it'll be in spite of that." Republicans have for years bemoaned the system that allows voters to rank their preference and eliminates candidates until one reaches a majority as “costly” and “confusing,” and argue it has undercut their party.
包括即将卸任的共和党州长迈克·邓利维和总统唐纳德·特朗普在内的顶级共和党人，在两年前一次尝试失败后，敦促选民今年秋天通过一项投票倡议废除该制度。
Top Republicans like outgoing GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy and President Donald Trump have urged voters to repeal the system via a ballot measure this fall after a previous effort failed two years ago.
“即使他能拿到1%或2%或3%的那种虚假排序选择票，你永远不知道他们会怎么处理，”特朗普上周在瓦西拉的一次集会上谈到丹·J·沙利文时说，并补充说这“可能成为决定性因素”。
“Even if he gets a percent or 2% or 3% percent with the phony ranked choice stuff, you never know what they're going to do with it,” Trump said of Dan J. Sullivan in a rally in Wasilla last week, adding that it “could be the difference.”
此前也发生过类似情况：佩尔托拉在众议院选举中受益于共和党分裂的候选人阵营，而丽莎·默尔科夫斯基参议员（共和党-阿拉斯加州）在2022年部分归功于排序选择投票制，成功抵挡住了特朗普支持的挑战者。阿拉斯加共和党人也在为今年的州长选举感到担忧，当时有三名共和党候选人竞争，他们敦促选民“给红色排序”。丹·J·沙利文、海克斯以及佩尔托拉的竞选团队均未回应置评请求。
It’s happened before: Peltola benefitted in her House win from a split GOP field, while Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) warded off a Trump-backed challenger in 2022 partly because of ranked-choice voting. Alaska Republicans are also fretting about the governor’s race this year, where three GOP candidates are competing, urging voters to “rank the red.”Dan J. Sullivan, Heikes and Peltola’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
名字相近的两位沙利文在选票上通过中间名首字母和党派归属区分（现任候选人列为共和党人，挑战者无党派）。但这位参议员及其盟友不愿冒任何风险。
The similarly named Sullivans are separated on the ballot by their middle initials and party affiliation (the incumbent is listed as a Republican, the challenger without a party). But the senator and his allies aren’t taking any chances.
他们正在采用默尔科夫斯基在2010年成功的书写投票竞选中使用的几种策略，包括分发印有参议员姓名和党派归属的橡胶手环，并与全国参议院共和党委员会一起播放广播歌曲。
They’re employing several of the tactics Murkowski used during her successful 2010 write-in campaign, including giving out rubber wristbands branded with the senator’s name and party affiliation, and airing a radio jingle with the NRSC.
“丹·S. 是你的第一选择，”这首顺口溜唱道。“如果他不是，把他排在第二位，别浪费你的选票。丹·S.、丹尼尔、杰里——就是别把玛丽排上去。”
"Dan S. is your No. 1," the jingle goes. "If he’s not, rank him second, don’t throw your vote away. Dan S., Daniel, Gerry — just don’t rank Mary."
“丹·S. 沙利文在这场竞选中有两个对手：民主党人玛丽·佩尔托拉，以及她和她的盟友欺骗性地操纵、并使其对自己有利的排序复选制，”参议员发言人内特·亚当斯说。“但我们的竞选团队有信心，阿拉斯加人并不糊涂。他们了解真正的丹，我们正在确保每位选民都能找到他：每份邮寄宣传单上都有选票样本，上门和打电话接触选民，甚至还有一首顺口溜。”
"Dan S. Sullivan has two opponents in this race: Democrat Mary Peltola, and the ranked choice system she and her allies have deceptively manipulated to her advantage,” said Nate Adams, a spokesperson for the senator. “But our campaign is confident that Alaskans aren't confused. They know the real Dan, and we're making sure every voter can find him: ballot facsimiles on every mailer, voters reached at the door and on the phone, and even a jingle.”
推动保留阿拉斯加排序复选投票制的人士认为，该制度有助于缓解所谓的“搅局效应”。支持今年废除该制度的团体在一封电子邮件中表示，这是一项非党派努力，仅专注于废除该制度。
Those pushing to keep ranked-choice voting in Alaska argue the system helps mitigate the so-called spoiler effect. The group behind this year's repeal measure said in an email that it's a nonpartisan effort focused solely on eliminating the system.
像“繁荣美国行动”和“促进增长俱乐部行动”这样支持沙利文的外部共和党团体，一直在上门和通过邮寄宣传单敦促选民将现任议员排在第一位，这与沙利文竞选团队的做法略有不同。“将共和党现任议员丹·S. 沙利文作为你的第一选择，也是唯一选择，”《政治报》看到的一份“促进增长俱乐部行动”宣传单写道，这与沙利文竞选团队的做法略有不同。
Outside GOP groups boosting Sullivan like Americans for Prosperity Action and Club for Growth Action have been urging voters at doors and via mailers to rank the incumbent first, a slightly different approach than Sullivan’s campaign. “Make Republican Incumbent DAN S. SULLIVAN your 1ST CHOICE and ONLY CHOICE,” read one Club for Growth Action mailer seen by POLITICO, a slightly different approach than Sullivan’s campaign.
“在一场胶着的选举中，不需要太多人感到困惑，就可能改变走向和结果，”“繁荣美国行动”阿拉斯加州高级顾问凯文·格林说。
“In a tight election, it doesn't take a ton of people to get confused to possibly change the trajectory and the outcome,” said Kevin Greene, senior adviser for AFP Action in Alaska.
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A version of this article first appeared in POLITICO Pro’s Morning Score. Want to receive the newsletter every weekday? to POLITICO Pro.