Early voting opens for Aug. 20 primary; mailed absentee application window closes this week

An early voting position is group up 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)

Early voting for Alaska’s Aug. 20 superior predetermination opened Monday astatine polling stations crossed nan state.

Locations will beryllium unfastened in a assortment of places through Aug. 19.

The Alaska Division of Elections is besides accepting applications for mailed absentee ballots through Aug. 10. 

If a elector wants to download and people retired an absentee ballot, nan deadline to use for that procedure is Aug. 19. 

Either benignant of ballot must beryllium postmarked before aliases connected Election Day. Because astir Alaska message is postmarked successful Juneau aliases Anchorage, ballots formed wrong 10 days of Election Day should beryllium hand-postmarked astatine a section station office. 

Ballots must scope nan Alaska Division of Elections nary later than 10 days aft Election Day successful bid to beryllium counted.

If you haven’t registered to vote, it’s excessively precocious to participate successful nan superior — nan deadline was July 21. You tin still registry for nan November wide election; nan deadline for that is Oct. 6. 

Under Alaska’s superior predetermination system, each candidates for a peculiar agency tally together. A elector picks 1 of those candidates to advance. The apical 4 vote-getters for nan office, sloppy of governmental party, beforehand to nan November election.

In immoderate title pinch 4 aliases less candidates, each candidates beforehand to November. In 2022, immoderate candidates withdrew from nan wide predetermination aft viewing nan superior results.

This year, 3 races person much than 4 candidates — the U.S. House race, nan election for Eagle River’s authorities Senate seat, and nan vote for nan authorities House seat covering Tok, Delta Junction and astir of Interior Alaska.

Primary elections for nan presidency are nan work of individual governmental parties, and those person already taken place, truthful nary statesmanlike candidates look connected nan Aug. 20 ballot.