How many have voted so far in Alaska? About 22% of expected election turnout

By
Suzanne Downing
-
18
Voting

On Friday, the mid-afternoon line to vote at Anchorage’s Gambell Street polling location stretched out the door and into the sunny, chilly day. Voters had to wait a good half hour to get to a ballot.

As of Saturday, 62,847 Alaskans had already voted in the Nov. 8, 2022 midterm election, where a governor, a senator, and Alaska’s only congressional representative will be chosen, along with all seats for state House and Senate, except for Senate Seat T, the Nome-Kotz-North Slope area, which did not change substantially during redistricting.

That breaks down into 33,597 who have voted by absentee ballot, and 29,250 who have voted early in person. There are about 55,000 absentee ballots issued, which means another 19,000 or more have not yet been returned.

The number of total votes cast may be approximately 22% of the total expected by the time all the absentees must have arrived at the Division of Elections.

192,542 votes were cast in the Aug. 16 primary and special general election.

During the last comparable general election — 2018, a non-pandemic year and a midterm election — 285,009 Alaskans cast ballots for a 49.84% turnout.

If the turnout is comparable, then so far 22% of Alaska voters have already done their civic duty.

Rural Alaska, from Kaktovik to Adak, and all the villages in between, hasn’t shown up for the election yet, which is typical of those districts, where voters are not keen on early or absentee voting.

Bethel has the second worst turnout of any district in the state. That’s Congresswoman Mary Peltola’s hometown, although she actually lives in Goldenview, a south Anchorage area filled with luxury homes.

Turning out in higher numbers are voters on the road system. Homer District 6 has cast 2,818 votes, Kenai District 8 has cast 2,103, South Anchorage District 9 has cast 2,823, Eagle River District 23 has cast 2,349, House District 3 North Juneau-Skagway has cast 2,747 votes, while House District 4 Juneau Downtown has cast 2,608.

Unique on the road system is District 18, which is the area represented by Republican Rep. David Nelson. That strong military district that wraps around Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson has many soldiers and airmen living in it and often has a low turnout in the midterm elections; in fact, it nearly always one of the lowest turnout districts in the state. Only 639 have voted in that district, so far. Formerly known as District 15, it was once represented by former Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, who now is in court for allegedly committing voter fraud. Only 3,600 people voted in that district in 2018. Nelson faces tough competition this year from two extreme leftists and turnout for Nelson will be critical, as the area now encompasses the more liberal-leaning Government Hill.

18 COMMENTS

  3. Suzanne ma’am you are the only fair news in Alaska thank you for you effort the ladies union is impeccable.

  4. “He who separates his scholars from his warriors will have his thinking done by cowards, and his fighting done by fools”

  6. The division of elections has done a poor job of advertising the hours for early in-person early voting this election.It was initially 8-5, but evidently more hours were added Friday and Monday. But still, there is no good reason that I can see for not voting early. As far as I know, all of the votes will be treated the same and we will still have to wait for awhile for the results. The main thing is that we vote, in whatever fashion that works. Many may be discouraged by the long lines on Election Day, and God only knows what other shenanigans are going to take place, like in the past with not enough ballots or changing the polling place for your new district. These tactics were used in the recent past with no repercussions so all I can say is vote early. Your vote is needed, now more than ever.

  8. Mary, Mary, quite constitutionally contrary lives in Golden- View? Who would have thought that? And here I thought she was a Kuskokwim Girl from Kwethluk or there about.
    I wondered about her since several of her ads were filmed by the Old Glenn, Knik River Bridge. Sure didn’t look like Kwethluk. Hmm, there is something about Mary…

  9. Wonder if Mary moved her 176 ‘long guns’ to Goldenview?
    That’s how many her flyer says she has.
    But it’s cool, cause they’re ‘long’ guns (Democrat approved) (until they’re not)

    • BTW …. I’m sure some of those long guns are Mini-14’s & other semi-autos that are popular & efficient for seal hunting. Those are = to the Democrats dreaded AR-15 folks. Will Ms Peltola vote w/ the Dems to ban those guns?

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