AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Alaska’s primaries

WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Alaska Tuesday’s voters will narrow the field of candidates for the coveted seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 12 to just four.

In Alaska, every candidate runs in the same primary, regardless of party affiliation. The four candidates with the most votes advance to the general election. The composition of the four-candidate ballot, including each candidate’s party affiliation, determines the dynamics of the general election, when voters rank the candidates in order of preference.

Both major political parties are vying for control of this seat, which has been held by Republicans for decades. until Rep. Don Young died in 2022.

Of the 12 candidates on the primary ballot, two are prominent Republicans and one is a well-known Democrat. The Democrat is Rep. Mary Peltola, who first won the seat in a special election in 2022. The Republicans are Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom and Nick Begich, who shares the name of his late grandfather, a Democratic congressman who was on a plane that disappeared in 1972.

No other candidates have reported raising money for the race, according to Federal Election Commission records. Also on the ballot are two other Republicans, one other Democrat and six others.

Dahlstrom has received endorsements from many of the Republican Party’s most influential members, including former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Begich has received endorsements from members of the House Freedom Caucus, including Reps. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Byron Donalds of Florida and Bob Good of Virginia.

Peltola, a former state legislator, had been out of office for years when she made an unsuccessful bid for the seat in 2022 in a race that also included Begich and Sarah Palin, a former Republican vice presidential candidate. Peltola won the seat in a special general election that coincided with the regular primary in August 2022.

In the August primaries, in which more than 20 candidates participated, Peltola won 37% of the vote, followed by Palin with 30% and Begich with 26%.

Most state legislative races are uncontested in the primaries because four or fewer candidates run, meaning they all automatically advance to the general election. But there are a few exceptions.

In one state Senate district, Republican incumbent Kelly Merrick has raised more than $70,000. In one state Senate district led by a bipartisan coalitionMerrick is campaigning as a pragmatist, willing to work with her colleagues across the aisle. She faces a challenge from fellow Republican Jared Goecker, who has also raised more than $70,000. Goecker calls himself a “trusted conservative” and accuses Merrick of being a liberal.

Three other candidates are running, but have raised significantly less money. They include Republicans Ken McCarty and Sharon Jackson, both former state legislators, and Lee Hammermeister, the only Democrat on the ballot. The district includes Eagle River and Chugiak, just north of Anchorage.

In the state House of Representatives, six candidates are running for the open seat in the 36th District, which is currently represented by a Republican.

A look at what to expect on Tuesday:

The last polls close at 1 a.m. EDT on Wednesday. Polls in most states close at 12 a.m. EDT.

The Associated Press news agency will announce the voting results and declare the winners of the contested primaries for the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate and House of Representatives.

Any registered voter in Alaska is eligible to participate in the state’s “Top 4” primary election.

In close races, certain aspects of the way Alaska counts votes could delay the winner from being determined.

Results released on Election Night include ballots cast in person on Election Day and at early voting sites. The state says some mail ballots may also be counted on Election Day, but most of those ballots are added to the count up to 10 days after the election.

Unlike most other states, results are not broken down by county or town. Only statewide totals are available when the first results are released, with state district results typically released later on Election Night or in the days afterward.

The AP does not make predictions and will only declare a winner if it has been determined that there is no scenario in which the trailing candidates can close the gap. If no race has been declared, the AP will continue to report on all newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make it clear that no winner has yet been declared and explain why.

Recounts in Alaska are automatic in the event of a tie. Candidates can also request and pay for a recount. The AP can declare a winner in a race eligible for a recount if it determines the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

As of July 3, there were nearly 604,000 registered voters in Alaska. Of those, 12 percent were Democrats, 24 percent Republicans, and 59 percent were independents or unaffiliated with a party.

In the 2022 U.S. Senate primary, turnout was about 32% of registered voters. About 23% of the votes in that election were cast before Primary Day.

As of Wednesday, 6,594 votes had been cast ahead of the primary election.

In the 2022 midterm primaries, the AP first reported results at 1:34 a.m. EDT, or 34 minutes after the last polls closed. The election night count ended at 5:48 a.m. EDT, by which time about 80% of the total votes had been counted.

As of Tuesday, there are 77 days left until the November general election.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.