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Elections in Alaska

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Elections in Alaska
Federal government
Presidential elections
Presidential primaries and caucuses
Democratic
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections
U.S. House of Representatives elections
State government
Statewide elections
Gubernatorial elections
Senate elections
House of Representatives elections
Ballot measures
Anchorage
Mayoral elections
Propositions

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

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Main article: List of Alaska ballot measures

Presidential elections

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Main article: United States presidential elections in Alaska
United States presidential election results for Alaska[5]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
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
2024 Donald Trump 2024 Donald Trump

United States congressional delegation elections

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Main article: United States congressional delegations from Alaska

United States Senate elections

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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

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Class III Senate elections

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United States House of Representatives elections

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


Gubernatorial elections

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Main article: List of governors of Alaska

Alaska Legislature elections

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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

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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

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There are four qualified political parties.[7]

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.

See also

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References

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  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.
  3. ^ 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.
  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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