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Division of Elections

State of Alaska

Questions about Elections?

We want to hear from you! We are producing informational materials to help explain election processes and procedures and your questions will help us refine our outreach focus. Submit your question and find more information about election issues, such as voter rolls and list maintenance,  Ranked Choice Voting, Election Dates and other processes. You can explore information by expanding the different topics below. This form is not intended to be used for questions specific to your situation. For these types of questions, please contact your regional office.

Questions about Elections?

Submit your question

Example: Who reviews Absentee Ballots?
Please note: We cannot directly respond to questions posed on this form. These are used to help us curate outreach materials.
Election Registration Information Center (ERIC)

Alaska is a member of ERIC, an organization of 24 states and Washington DC that share and match their voter records. The division uses the ERIC program to send notices to voters who appear to have moved to other states, requesting they update or cancel their voter registration in Alaska. The division must receive a response from the voter to make any type of update or cancellation.

Additionally, ERIC compares our voter list with the Social Security Administration and the division uses this information to remove deceased voters in the voter rolls if they have already not been removed due to notification from another source.

ERIC also helps the division update voters’ addresses. Prior to every general election, the division sends an in-state move notification card to any voter who may have a more current residence address with DMV in Alaska, asking them to update their registration.

ERIC does not share information with any 3rd parties.  The voting members of ERIC are all participating states.

Voter Rolls – List Maintenance

The division conducts list maintenance as specified by state and federal law. List maintenance is a process to review the voter rolls to keep them as accurate and up to date as possible. Voters cannot be removed from the voter list simply because they have not voted or because they appear to have moved to another state.

The division’s annual list maintenance process has two steps:

Step 1: At least once a year the division reviews the voter rolls and sends notices (by nonforwardable mail) requesting address confirmation to all voters whose mail has been returned to the division in the last two years; who have not contacted the division in the last two years; or who have not voted or appeared to have voted in the last two general elections.

Step 2: If the first notice is returned as undeliverable and the voter has not, within the last four calendar years, contacted the division, voted, or appeared to have voted in any election, the division sends a second notice (by forwardable mail) to the voter’s last known address. This notice states that the voter’s registration will be inactivated unless the voter responds to the notice within 45 days.

A voter whose record has been inactivated will be canceled and removed from the voter list after 2 two general elections (four years) If the voter does not contact the division, vote, or appear to vote.

Ranked Choice Voting

In accordance with Alaska law, all general elections are conducted by Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Only the top four candidates who receive the greatest number of voters for any office in the primary will appear on the general election ballot. There is also a space for write-in candidates except for the Presidential race. For a candidate to win, they must receive a majority (50% + 1) of total votes cast. If no candidates receive a majority of 1st choice votes in the 1st round of counting, more rounds of counting continue until a candidate reaches a majority.

Election Dates

There are a variety of statutory deadlines that determine the election timeline. Below are some of the critical election deadlines and their statutory authority.

  • Candidate filing deadline – AS 15.25.040

  • Candidate withdrawal deadline for primary election candidates – AS 15.25.055; 6 AAC 25.210

  • Voter Registration Deadline (30 days before an election) – AS 15.07.010; AS 15.07.070(d)

  • Absentee In-Person and Early Voting Start (15 days prior to election day) – AS 15.20.045; 6 AAC 25.500

  • Application period for Civilian voters applying for an absentee ballot by electronic transmission (15 days prior to election day) – AS 15.20.081

  • Deadline to receive Absentee by-mail applications (10 days prior to election day) – AS 15.20.081(b)

  • Absentee Review Boards begin review of absentee ballot envelopes (No less than 7 days prior to election day) –AS 15.20.201(a)

  • Deadline to receive absentee election transmission applications (5:00pm the day before election day) – AS 15.20.081(b)

  • Deadline for absentee ballots returned by mail to be postmarked (on or before election day) – AS 15.20.081(e)

  • Deadline for absentee electronic transmission ballots to be returned by fax (8:00pm on election day) – AS 15.20.066(1)

  • Closing of polls for state/federal elections (8:00pm on election day) – AS 15.15.080

  • Questioned Review board begins review of questioned ballot envelopes (2 days after election day) – AS 15.20.205(a)

  • Deadline to receive all absentee by-mail ballots for the Primary election (10 days after election day) – AS 15.20.081(e)

  • Deadline for final regional count/review of Absentee and Questioned ballots (15 days after election day) – AS 15.20.201(c); AS 15.20.205(c)

  • Withdrawal deadline for general election candidates – AS 15.35.135; 6 AAC 25.210(b)

  • Deadline to receive an application for a recount for an election (5 days after certification) – AS 15.20.430

  • Deadline for Official Election Pamphlets for the general election to be mailed to voters – AS 15.58.080(a)

  • Deadline for absentee by-mail ballots to be received for domestic mail for the General election (10 days after election day) – AS 15.20.081(e)

  • Deadline for absentee by-mail ballot to be received for overseas mail for the general election (15 days after election day) – AS 15.20.081(h)(2)

  • Deadline for electors to meet to cast their votes for President and Vice President – AS 15.30.070

Election Processes

The Alaska election system is made up of a variety of election processes that are determined by statutory requirements. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Voter Registration

  • Ballots and Tabulation System

  • Absentee Voting

  • Early/Absentee In-Person Voting

  • Logging and Review of Absentee and Questioned Ballots

  • Election Day Voting

  • Special Needs Voting

  • Post-Election Audits and Certification

More detailed information about these processes can be found in our Alaska’s Election Process document.