Alaska’s pre-primary election turnout is down from extraordinary 2022 and 2020 primaries

Poll workers group up an early voting statiion successful nan atrium of nan State Office Building successful Juneau, Alaska connected Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, nan first time of early voting for nan 2024 Alaska superior election. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Voter turnout up of Alaska’s Aug. 20 superior predetermination is down from nan past 2 elections but is moving up of what it was successful 2018 and 2016, nan past 2 primaries without bonzer factors successful play.

In 2020, nan COVID-19 pandemic emergency encouraged Americans to ballot by mail, and successful 2022, Alaska’s superior predetermination coincided pinch a typical predetermination for nan state’s lone U.S. House seat. 

Through Thursday, nan Alaska Division of Elections had received 12,578 absentee ballot requests done mail, fax aliases email, according to figures posted connected nan division’s website. Additional requests are expected successful coming days.

Two years ago, Alaskans requested much than 27,000 absentee ballots by mail, fax aliases email for nan primary, and successful 2020, nan fig was much than 62,000 for nan primary.

The Alaska Republican Party, Alaska Democratic Party and the Voter Participation Center have each sent unsolicited absentee ballot petition forms to voters, according to nan Division of Elections.

Though this year’s requests are lagging down nan past 2 superior elections, they’re moving up of nan 10,807 that were issued up of nan 2018 superior aliases nan 10,364 that were issued up of nan 2016 primary.

Those figures do not see thousands much ballots that were formed astatine early voting sites aliases astatine places pinch in-person absentee voting.

According to nan division, 2,100 Alaskans formed ballots astatine early voting sites betwixt Aug. 5 and Aug. 7 this year.

In-person absentee voting, utilized astatine galore agrarian Alaska voting locations, was disrupted past week by delays that prevented ballots from arriving successful clip for nan Aug. 5 commencement of early voting.

All polling stations were unfastened by Friday, nan Alaska Division of Elections said.

James Boxrud, a spokesperson for nan U.S. Postal Service, said connected Friday that nan agency “is committed to nan secure, timely transportation of nan nation’s Election Mail.”

“Regarding predetermination materials shipped by nan Alaska Division of Elections, we are alert those materials person each been delivered aliases are disposable for pickup by section predetermination officials.  We proceed moving intimately pinch authorities and section predetermination authorities to resoluteness concerns up of nan August 20th superior election,” he said by email. 

Friday was nan deadline for Alaskans to petition that an absentee ballot beryllium emailed to them, but voters can request an emailed ballot through Aug. 19. 

A ballot must beryllium postmarked connected aliases earlier Election Day to beryllium counted, and because overmuch of Alaska’s message is postmarked successful either Anchorage aliases Juneau, voters are encouraged to person their ballot postmarked by manus wrong a section station office. 

Ballots will beryllium counted if they are appropriately postmarked and get nary later than 10 days aft Election Day.

How Alaska votes

In Alaska’s predetermination system, each candidates for an office, sloppy of governmental party, are placed successful nan aforesaid superior election. Voters prime 1 candidate, and nan 4 candidates pinch nan astir votes beforehand to nan wide election.

In nan wide election, voters are asked to rank nan candidates successful bid of preference, 1 done four, pinch a 5th action for a write-in, if wanted.

If a campaigner receives much than half of nan first-preference votes, they win.

If nary 1 receives much than half of nan first-preference votes, nan lowest finisher is eliminated, and voters who picked that campaigner person their votes spell for their 2nd preference.

The elimination process continues until 1 campaigner has much than half of nan remaining votes.

Presidential elections do not person a top-four primary. Voters successful November whitethorn beryllium asked to rank much than 4 candidates for president.