Elections in Alaska

The number of elections in Alaska (Iñupiaq: Alaaskam naliġagviat) varies by year, but typically municipal elections occur every year, plus primary and general elections for federal and state offices occur during even-numbered years. Alaska has a gubernatorial election every four years. Members of the state's United States congressional delegation run for election or re-election at the times set out in the United States Constitution. Primary elections assist in choosing political parties' nominees for various positions. On a regional basis (see list of boroughs and census areas in Alaska), elections also cover municipal issues. In addition, a special election can occur at any time.

In a 2020 study, Alaska was ranked as the 15th hardest state for citizens to vote in.^[1]

In 2020, Alaskan voters approved an initiative to implement a nonpartisan blanket top-four primary with a single, open primary where candidates from all parties are listed on the ballot and the top four vote-getters advance to the general election.^[2] This system went into effect with the 2022 elections. Prior to this, registered voters in Alaska were given a choice between three primary ballots reflecting a semi-closed primary system.^[3] Specifically, Democratic, Libertarian, Alaskan Independence and Independent candidates were listed on one ballot available to all registered voters and Republican candidates were listed on a second ballot available to voters registered as Republican, Nonpartisan or Undeclared.^[3] In 2024, Alaskans will vote on a measure to repeal the system and return to partisan primaries.^[4]

Ballot measures

Presidential elections

United States presidential election results for Alaska^[5]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	189,951	52.83%	153,778	42.77%	15,801	4.39%
2016	163,387	51.28%	116,454	36.55%	38,767	12.17%
2012	164,676	54.80%	122,640	40.81%	13,179	4.39%
2008	193,841	59.42%	123,594	37.89%	8,762	2.69%
2004	190,889	61.07%	111,025	35.52%	10,684	3.42%
2000	167,398	58.62%	79,004	27.67%	39,158	13.71%
1996	122,746	50.80%	80,380	33.27%	38,494	15.93%
1992	102,000	39.46%	78,294	30.29%	78,212	30.26%
1988	119,251	59.59%	72,584	36.27%	8,281	4.14%
1984	138,377	66.65%	62,007	29.87%	7,221	3.48%
1980	86,112	54.35%	41,842	26.41%	30,491	19.24%
1976	71,555	57.90%	44,058	35.65%	7,961	6.44%
1972	55,349	58.13%	32,967	34.62%	6,903	7.25%
1968	37,600	45.28%	35,411	42.65%	10,024	12.07%
1964	22,930	34.09%	44,329	65.91%	0	0.00%
1960	30,953	50.94%	29,809	49.06%	0	0.00%

Alaskans have voted in United States presidential elections since 1960. With the exception of the candidacy of Barry Goldwater in 1964, the Republican Party has carried Alaska in every presidential election.

Vote in Alaska		National vote
Year	Candidate	Year	Candidate
1960	Richard Nixon	1960	John F. Kennedy
1964	Lyndon B. Johnson	1964	Lyndon B. Johnson
1968	Richard Nixon	1968	Richard Nixon
1972	Richard Nixon	1972	Richard Nixon
1976	Gerald Ford	1976	Jimmy Carter
1980	Ronald Reagan	1980	Ronald Reagan
1984	Ronald Reagan	1984	Ronald Reagan
1988	George H. W. Bush	1988	George H. W. Bush
1992	George H. W. Bush	1992	Bill Clinton
1996	Bob Dole	1996	Bill Clinton
2000	George W. Bush	2000	George W. Bush
2004	George W. Bush	2004	George W. Bush
2008	John McCain	2008	Barack Obama
2012	Mitt Romney	2012	Barack Obama
2016	Donald Trump	2016	Donald Trump
2020	Donald Trump	2020	Joe Biden

United States congressional delegation elections

United States Senate elections

Alaska has a Class II Senator (currently Dan Sullivan) and a Class III Senator (currently Lisa Murkowski). Alaska first elected Senators in 1956 under the "Alaska–Tennessee Plan." They had no vote in the Senate, but were sent to represent Alaska as if they were, to lobby for statehood, and to assume the office of senator should the situation arise. Alaska's first voting senators were elected in the 1958 election; it was a special election due to the former territory's pending admission as a state.

Class II Senate elections

Class III Senate elections

United States House of Representatives elections

Alaska has had a single congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since statehood was granted in 1959.

Gubernatorial elections

Alaska Legislature elections

Alaska Senators have terms of four years; half of them are elected every two years. Alaska Representatives have terms of two years; all of them are elected every two years.^[6] The state's redistricting process allows the power to shorten the terms of state senators should a redistricting action substantially alter their district.

Municipal elections

Virtually all of the state's municipalities hold their general elections in early October, with the notable exception of Anchorage. North Pole for many years held their elections in November, in the process holding them on the same day as state elections on even-numbered years, but eventually abandoned that in favor of October elections. Anchorage switched from an early October election day to one in early April around 1992.

Political parties

There are four qualified political parties.^[7]

Democratic Party (see also Alaska Democratic Party)
Libertarian Party
Republican Party (see also Alaska Republican Party)
Alaskan Independence Party

Lawsuits launched by Joe Vogler and Jim Sykes, among other lawsuits, led the Alaska Legislature to eventually revamp and relax laws pertaining to party status and ballot access. The first instance of a minor party gaining recognition came in 1982, when the gubernatorial candidacy of Dick Randolph under the Libertarian Party was successful enough to meet the existing party recognition threshold.

References

^ J. Pomante II, Michael; Li, Quan (15 Dec 2020). "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020". Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy. 19 (4): 503–509. doi:10.1089/elj.2020.0666. S2CID 225139517. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
^ Piper, Kelsey (2020-11-19). "Alaska voters adopt ranked-choice voting in ballot initiative". Vox. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
^ ^a ^b Harrington, Susan (July 1, 2014). "Voter Registration: It's Not Automatic, but It's Easy". Alaska Business Monthly. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Alaska law allows a political party to select who may participate in their party's primary.
^ Brooks, James (2024-08-23). "Alaska Supreme Court upholds ranked choice repeal initiative, now bound for November vote • Alaska Beacon". Alaska Beacon. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Alaska". US Election Atlas. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
^ Article 2, Section 3 Archived 2008-07-18 at the Wayback Machine of the Constitution of Alaska
^ "State of Alaska - Recognized Political Parties". Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2013-10-11.

External links

Alaska Division of Elections official website
Alaska at Ballotpedia
Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Alaska", Voting & Elections Toolkits
"Alaska: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
"League of Women Voters of Alaska". (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
"State Elections Legislation Database", Ncsl.org, Washington, D.C.: National Conference of State Legislatures, State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020

[1] J. Pomante II, Michael; Li, Quan (15 Dec 2020). "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020". Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy. 19 (4): 503–509. doi:10.1089/elj.2020.0666. S2CID 225139517. Retrieved 14 January 2022.

[2] Piper, Kelsey (2020-11-19). "Alaska voters adopt ranked-choice voting in ballot initiative". Vox. Retrieved 2022-02-23.

[harrington2014-3] Harrington, Susan (July 1, 2014). "Voter Registration: It's Not Automatic, but It's Easy". Alaska Business Monthly. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Alaska law allows a political party to select who may participate in their party's primary.

[x407-4] Brooks, James (2024-08-23). "Alaska Supreme Court upholds ranked choice repeal initiative, now bound for November vote • Alaska Beacon". Alaska Beacon. Retrieved 2024-08-23.

[5] Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Alaska". US Election Atlas. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

[6] Article 2, Section 3 Archived 2008-07-18 at the Wayback Machine of the Constitution of Alaska

[7] "State of Alaska - Recognized Political Parties". Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2013-10-11.

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