Alaska Election: Lawsuit Dismissed Ahead of Tuesday Vote

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration on Sunday, removing a legal obstacle to the certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate race. The government intends to appeal the decision to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The legal battle had aimed to prevent state officials from certifying results if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan narrowly lost.

The dismissal comes as more than 90,000 Alaskans cast early or absentee ballots out of approximately 605,000 registered voters. In-person early voting locations operated through Monday. The state's ranked choice general election includes contests for governor, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, and 50 of 60 legislative seats.

The ballot also features two measures and judicial retention questions. Ballot Measure 2 proposes repealing the state's open primary and ranked choice system, along with certain campaign finance transparency laws. Ballot Measure 3 would codify in state law that only U.S. citizens may vote, a requirement already in place. Voters will also decide on the retention of Alaska Supreme Court Justice Jude Pate and various lower court judges.

Candidates campaigned in Anchorage on Monday morning. Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich urged supporters at the intersection of Northern Lights Boulevard and the Seward Highway to participate in the election. "Right now, it's all about get out the vote, and making sure that people understand they have a responsibility and an awesome capability to select their representatives, and we should take that seriously," Begich said. "Whether we're Republicans, Democrats, independents, everybody should make sure they get out and vote."

Polling places will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Voters must present one form of identification, such as a driver's license, tribal ID, or utility bill. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day, while those dropped off in person or sent via fax must be received by 8 p.m. Tuesday. The Division of Elections rejected over 1,000 absentee ballots in the 2024 election, often due to improper witnessing.

The Division of Elections plans to release preliminary first-choice results around 8:45 p.m. on election night. These initial figures will not include full ranked choice tabulation for races with more than two candidates. A seven-day count of absentee ballots is scheduled for Nov. 10, followed by a 10-day count on Nov. 13. All remaining votes will be counted on Nov. 18, when the deadline for postmarked mail-in ballots expires.

The division will certify the final election results on Nov. 25. The judicial council recommended that voters reject two Kenai judges but issued no recommendation for one Juneau judge.