The Alaska Division of Elections says that some absentee voting locations around the state have had supplies delayed in the mail system, and are not yet able to assist voters. That means that voters cannot vote in some locations. These are likely to be rural areas, although Must Read Alaska is checking. Early voting started on Monday in Alaska for the Aug. 20 primary elections.
“For additional options please contact the Absentee & Petition office at 907-270-2700. We will update again when we have more information,” the Division wrote on X/Twitter.
On Tuesday, early voting at the State Office Building in Juneau was not available. Voting was taking place at the Mendenhall Mall location until later in the day, when voting could resume at the State Office Building.
Ballots were unavailable in Bethel earlier this week but are available now at the ONC Building. It appears to be a problem across rural communities. Longtime election observers say they have heard of this happening before.
As of Monday, 1,375 primary absentee-by-mail ballots had been cast and returned to the Division of Elections. Must Read Alaska was not able to get the early vote total but will update this story if more facts become known.
Meanwhile, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, is the deadline to apply for an Absentee by-mail ballot for the primary election. The absentee and petition office will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The 2024 Primary Election sample ballots are now available for viewing at the Division of Elections.
This story will be updated.
