Politics

The results of Alaska's primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 18 will decide who will be on the ballot for a U.S. Senate seat in November. Also up for a vote is who will be on the ballot for Alaska’s only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The polls open Aug. 18 at 7 a.m., and close at 8 p.m. 

The Calista Corporation is backing incumbent Republicans Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young for the upcoming general election.

If you want to run for Bethel City Council, the time to file is now. The filing period to submit your candidacy for the local election is open until Aug. 20.

The 2020 annual convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives will go virtual out of safety concerns over coronavirus. The decision was announced Aug. 5, 2020 in a news release from AFN.

Due to the pandemic, state elections officials expect a record number of absentee ballots will be submitted for the primary election coming up this month. For many people, this will be the first time that they have voted by mail. Alaska Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer says that the ballot is straightforward, with one exception:

“Our absentee ballots do require a witness, and they do require a personal identifier as well as the person’s signature,” Meyer said.

If you want to vote in the primary by mail with an absentee ballot, you have to get the application in right away. Under state law, the application for an absentee ballot must be received by the Alaska Division of Elections 10 days before the election. That means that to vote in the primary by mail, the division needs to receive your absentee ballot request by Saturday, Aug. 8.