Alaska primary count resumes Tuesday as close races await late ballots

By SUZANNE DOWNING

Aug. 23, 2026 –  Alaskans waiting for final answers from the Aug. 18 primary election will get their next major update Tuesday, when election officials are scheduled to count another round of early, absentee, and questioned ballots.

Results remained unofficial Sunday as the Alaska Division of Elections continued processing ballots from across the state. The Division is targeting Friday, Aug. 28, for its final unofficial count and Monday, Aug. 31, for certification of the election.

The extended count is a normal schedule for Alaska elections, where ballots must travel from remote communities and absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day are allowed additional time to arrive.

Most ballots cast at polling places were counted after polls closed at 8 pm Tuesday, with the first unofficial statewide results released after 9 pm. But those Election Night totals did not include every early, absentee or questioned ballot.

Early ballots cast through the Thursday before Election Day were generally included in the initial count. Early ballots cast from Friday through Monday before Election Day were held until voter histories could be entered and checked to ensure that no voter cast more than one ballot.

Those remaining early ballots are normally counted seven days after the election, which will be Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The Division also begins counting what is known as “questioned ballots” seven days after Election Day. Questioned ballots are reviewed to determine whether the voter was properly registered and eligible to participate.

Absentee ballots received and processed before Election Day were included in earlier counts, but additional absentee ballots will continue to be added in batches. Ballots mailed from within the United States, US territories, or overseas must have been postmarked by Aug. 18 and must reach election officials by Aug. 28 to be eligible.

Alaska’s geography can make the reporting process slower than in most states. More than 100 of the state’s 402 precincts rely on hand counting, according to the Division of Elections. In some communities, results are called in to regional offices, while election materials may have to be transported by mail before ballots can be reviewed and added to the count.

The additional ballots could be important in several close races, particularly contests in which candidates are competing for the fourth and final position on the November ballot. Under Alaska’s open-primary system, the four candidates receiving the most votes advance regardless of political affiliation.

While regional offices continue reviewing ballots, the State Review Board will begin examining election materials Tuesday. That review is scheduled to continue through Aug. 31.

Hand-count verification of selected precincts is also scheduled from Aug. 25 through Aug. 29. Precincts accounting for at least 5% of the votes cast in each House district are identified, and precincts are then randomly selected for hand-count checks against the machine totals.

The Division’s calendar sets Aug. 28 as the deadline for the final regional count and Aug. 31 as the target date for certification. Results are not official until the review process is complete and the election is certified.

Aug. 31 is also the deadline for candidates advancing to the general election to withdraw. A withdrawal notice must be submitted in writing and received by the Division director by close of business. The timing allows election officials to finalize the candidate lineup before preparing the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Once the candidate list is settled, the Division can certify the ballot artwork and send it to the printer. Ballots for military and overseas voters are sent first, followed later by absentee ballots for other voters.

If certification occurs Aug. 31 as planned, recount applications must be filed by Sept. 5. A defeated candidate or 10 qualified voters may request a recount. The deadline for filing an election contest in Superior Court would be Sept. 10.

The key dates ahead are:

• Aug. 25: Next expected results update; remaining early ballots and questioned ballots begin entering the count.
• Aug. 25–29: Hand-count verification of selected precincts.
• Aug. 28: Deadline for eligible absentee ballots to arrive and target for the final unofficial count.
• Aug. 31: Target date for certification and deadline for general-election candidates to withdraw.
• Sept. 5: Recount-request deadline, assuming certification occurs Aug. 31.
• Sept. 10: Deadline for an election contest, assuming the State Review Board finishes Aug. 31.

The latest unofficial results and schedule updates are available through the Alaska Division of Elections