Voting turnout was light early Tuesday morning at one Juneau polling place for Alaska’s primary election, which will mean little in terms of who’s on the ballot for the U.S. House and state legislative races in November.
But Tami Malloy, among the first voters to show up at the Mendenhall Mall Annex, said she believes voting in the primary election makes a difference.
“It narrows the field,” she said. “Especially with the ranked choice, there’s less confusion.”
On the primary ballot in Juneau are 12 candidates for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat, plus local state legislative races where all three incumbents are unopposed. Alaska’s ranked choice voting system means the top four finishers in competitive races will advance to the November election.
While that will narrow down the candidates in the U.S. House race, only three are considered serious contenders: Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola who is seeking a second full term, and Republican challengers Nick Begich III and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom.
A full list of candidates is at elections.alaska.gov/candidates.
Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee and early voting began on Aug. 5., and some early voting and absentee in-person sites will remain open. Unofficial results are posted on the State of Alaska Division of Elections website after 9 p.m.
The general election is Nov. 5.
There has been controversy about the ranked choice voting system in Alaska since it first took effect in 2022.
For a candidate to win, they must receive a majority of total votes cast. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes in the first round of counting, more rounds of counting with the lowest-ranked candidate eliminated in each round continue until a candidate reaches a majority.
Begich has stated he will drop out of the race if he finishes lower than second, so that Dahlstrom and Peltola are in a head-to-head race instead of a situation where the Republicans may split votes. Dahlstrom has not made a similar pledge.
The City and Borough of Juneau is offering transportation to Juneau residents to their polling place for early voting on Monday or to the polls on Tuesday due to the flood. Send a transportation request to floodresponse@juneau.gov. Individuals needing special needs ballot assistance can call 907-586-5278.
Full official information, including sample ballots, is available at the Alaska Division of Elections website at elections.alaska.gov.
Initial results of the primary will be published online Wednesday at juneauempire.com.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz.garrett@juneauempire.com or (907) 723-9356.
