Sarah Palin adopts Trumpworld strategy of claiming possible election fraud after losing her House race in Alaska
- Sarah Palin is leaning into a common Trumpworld tactic of alleging election fraud after a loss.
- Palin called ranked-choice voting a "newfangled, cockamamie system."
Sarah Palin, a former GOP vice-presidential candidate and the former Republican Governor of Alaska, has leaned into a popular Trumpworld tactic — baselessly alleging fraud after an election loss.
In an appearance on Steve Bannon's "War Room: Pandemic" podcast, Palin complained about ranked-choice voting in the state, claiming without substantiation that there could have been voter fraud.
Ranked-choice voting involves voters ranking candidates on the ballots by preference. The system was used in the state's recent special House election in which Palin lost to Mary Peltola, a Democrat.
During Bannon's podcast, Palin called ranked-choice voting a "cockamamie system" and railed about how "complicated" it was. She also said that the system could lead to the "most popular, or more qualified" candidates not winning elections.
"This newfangled experiment, with ranked-choice voting, will split votes and will allow liberals to skip on in," Palin said. "It's a very, very potentially fraught with fraud system."
Palin also suggested that the "entire country should be angry" and "outraged" about ranked-choice voting.
Following her loss to Peltola, Palin was seen ranting at her campaign headquarters. "Really? Alaskans want Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi?" Palin was heard saying to those present.
Other Republicans have been attacking ranked-choice voting following Palin's defeat. Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted last week, baselessly claiming that the system was a "scam to rig elections."
Claims of voter fraud by lawmakers have become commonplace — even in the GOP's primaries.
In June, former President Donald Trump's PAC baselessly suggested that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's 52-point victory in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary happened because of election fraud. In August, Laura Loomer, a far-right GOP candidate in Florida, also melted down and baselessly alleged voter fraud after losing her race.