Top-four primary
A "top-four primary" usually refers to a system promoted by FairVote which involves a two-phase election:
- Primary election - voters are presented with a choose-one ballot. The four candidates with the most votes advance to the general election.
- General election - this election is conducted using "ranked-choice voting" (also known as "instant-runoff voting") to select which of the four candidates will fill the seat being voted upon.
This method was first enacted in Alaska in 2020 (under "Measure 2") , and then first used in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Alaska in a controversial set of elections.