The number of elections in Alaska ( Iñupiaq: ''Alaaskam naliġagviat'') varies by year, but typically municipal elections occur every year, plus primary and general elections for federal and state offices occur during even-numbered years.

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

has a

gubernatorial election A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

every four years. Members of the state's United States congressional delegation run for election or re-election at the times set out in the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...

Primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

s assist in choosing political parties' nominees for various positions. On a regional basis (see list of boroughs and census areas in Alaska), elections also cover municipal issues. In addition, a

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...

can occur at any time. In a 2020 study, Alaska was ranked as the 15th hardest state for citizens to vote in.

Primary elections

registered voters In electoral systems, voter registration (or enrollment) is the requirement that a person otherwise eligible to vote must register (or enroll) on an electoral roll, which is usually a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted to vote. The ru ...

in Alaska were given a choice between three primary ballots reflecting a semi-closed primary system. Specifically, Democratic, Libertarian, Alaskan Independence and Independent candidates were listed on one ballot available to all registered voters and Republican candidates were listed on a second ballot available to voters registered as Republican, Nonpartisan or Undeclared. In 2020, Alaskan voters approved an initiative to implement a nonpartisan blanket top-four primary with a single, open primary where candidates from all parties are listed on the ballot and the top four vote getters advance to the general election. The first elections using the new system will be the 2022 election cycle.

Alaska elections

2012 Alaska elections The 2012 Alaska general elections were held on November 6, 2012. Primary elections were held on August 28, 2012. U.S. House of Representatives Republican incumbent Don Young, who has represented Alaska's at-large congressional district since 19 ...

Ballot measures

Presidential elections

Alaskans have voted in

United States presidential election The election of the president and the vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not dire ...

s since 1960. With the exception of the candidacy of Barry Goldwater in 1964, the Republican Party has carried Alaska in every presidential election.

United States congressional delegation elections

United States Senate elections

Alaska has a Class II Senator (currently

Dan Sullivan Dan, Danny, or Daniel Sullivan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Daniel J. Sullivan (born 1940), American film and theater director * Daniel G. Sullivan, American screenwriter * Dan Sullivan (musician), indie rock musician * Dan Panic, Amer ...

) and a Class III Senator (currently

Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann Murkowski ( ; born May 22, 1957) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator for Alaska, having held that seat since 2002. Murkowski is the second-most senior Republican woman in the Senate, after S ...

). Alaska first elected Senators in 1956 under the "Alaska–Tennessee Plan." They had no vote in the Senate, but were sent to represent Alaska as if they were, to lobby for statehood, and to assume the office of senator should the situation arise. Alaska's first voting senators were elected in the 1958 election; it was a special election due to the former territory's pending admission as a state.

Class II Senate elections

Class III Senate elections

1962 United States Senate election in Alaska The 1962 United States Senate election in Alaska took place on November 6, 1962. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening ran for a second (his first full) term in office and defeated Republican nominee, Anchorage lawyer, former Interior ...

* 1968 United States Senate election in Alaska * 1974 United States Senate election in Alaska * 1980 United States Senate election in Alaska * 1986 United States Senate election in Alaska * 1992 United States Senate election in Alaska * 1998 United States Senate election in Alaska * 2004 United States Senate election in Alaska * 2010 United States Senate election in Alaska * 2016 United States Senate election in Alaska *''

2022 United States Senate election in Alaska The 2022 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 8, 2022. Incumbent three-term Republican Party (United States), Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski won reelection to a fourth term, defeating fellow Republican Kelly Tshi ...

United States House of Representatives elections

1992 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska The Alaska congressional election of 1992 was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1992. The term of the state's sole Representative to the United States House of Representatives expired on January 3, 1993. The winning candidate would serve a two-year te ...

* 1994 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska * 1996 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska *

1998 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska The Alaska congressional election of 1998 was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1998. The term of the state's sole Representative to the United States House of Representatives expired on January 3, 1999. The winning candidate would serve a two-year t ...

* 2000 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska * 2002 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska * 2004 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska * 2006 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska *

2008 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska The 2008 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska was held on November 4, 2008, to determine who will represent the state of Alaska in the United States House of Representatives. Alaska has one seat in the House, apportioned acc ...

* 2010 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska *

2012 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska The 2012 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the U.S. representative from Alaska's at-large congressional district, who will represent the state of Alaska in the 113th United ...

2014 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska The 2014 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the U.S. representative from Alaska's at-large congressional district, who will represent the state of Alaska in the 114th United States C ...

2016 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska The 2016 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the U.S. representative from Alaska's at-large congressional district, who will represent the state of Alaska in the 114th United States C ...

2018 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska The 2018 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the U.S. representative from Alaska's at-large congressional district, who will represent the state of Alaska in the 116th United States Co ...

2020 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska The 2020 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from Alaska's at-large congressional district. The election coincided wit ...

* 2022 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska

Gubernatorial elections

1958 Alaska gubernatorial election The 1958 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 25, 1958, for the post of Governor of Alaska. It was Alaska's first gubernatorial election as a U.S. state, although this did not take effect until January 3, 1959. Democratic Shado ...

1962 Alaska gubernatorial election The 1962 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1962, for the post of Governor of Alaska. Incumbent Democratic governor William A. Egan was re-elected, defeating Republican challenger and former governor of Alaska Territory M ...

* 1966 Alaska gubernatorial election *

1970 Alaska gubernatorial election The 1970 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1970, for the post of Governor of Alaska. Former governor and Democratic candidate Bill Egan was able to defeat incumbent Republican governor Keith H. Miller after having lost his ...

1974 Alaska gubernatorial election The 1974 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1974, for the post of Governor of Alaska. Republican challenger and mayor of Bristol Bay Borough Jay Hammond narrowly beat Democratic incumbent Bill Egan in a close race that wa ...

* 1978 Alaska gubernatorial election * 1982 Alaska gubernatorial election * 1986 Alaska gubernatorial election * 1990 Alaska gubernatorial election * 1994 Alaska gubernatorial election * 1998 Alaska gubernatorial election * 2002 Alaska gubernatorial election * 2006 Alaska gubernatorial election *

2010 Alaska gubernatorial election The 2010 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Former Governor Sarah Palin did not run, having resigned in July 2009. Incumbent Governor Sean Parnell, who as lieutenant governor succeeded Palin following her resignation, ...

* 2014 Alaska gubernatorial election * 2018 Alaska gubernatorial election *

2022 Alaska gubernatorial election The 2022 Alaska gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday November 8, 2022, to elect the List of governors of Alaska, governor of Alaska. Incumbent Republican Party (United States), Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy (politician), Mike Dunleavy ...

Alaska Legislature elections

Alaska Senators have terms of four years; half of them are elected every two years. Alaska Representatives have terms of two years; all of them are elected every two years. The state's redistricting process allows the power to shorten the terms of state senators should a redistricting action substantially alter their district. * 1994 Alaska state elections * 1996 Alaska state elections * 1998 Alaska state elections * 2000 Alaska state elections * 2002 Alaska state elections * 2004 Alaska state elections * 2006 Alaska state elections *

2008 Alaska state elections 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

* 2010 Alaska state elections * 2012 Alaska state elections * 2014 Alaska state elections * 2016 Alaska state elections

Municipal elections

Virtually all of the state's municipalities hold their general elections in early October, with the notable exception of

Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...

for many years held their elections in November, in the process holding them on the same day as state elections on even-numbered years, but eventually abandoned that in favor of October elections. Anchorage switched from an early October election day to one in early April around 1992.

Political parties

There are four qualified political parties. *

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

(see also

Alaska Democratic Party The Alaska Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in Alaska, headquartered in Anchorage. It is one of two major parties in Alaska, alongside the Alaska Republican Party. The Democratic Party holds Alaska's at-large congres ...

) *

Libertarian Party Active parties by country Defunct parties by country Organizations associated with Libertarian parties See also * Liberal parties by country * List of libertarian organizations * Lists of political parties Lists of political part ...

* Republican Party (see also Alaska Republican Party) *

Alaskan Independence Party The Alaskan Independence Party (AKIP) is an Alaskan nationalist political party that advocates an in-state referendum which would include the option of Alaska becoming an independent country. The party also advocates positions similar to those ...

Lawsuits launched by

Joe Vogler Joseph E. Vogler (April 24, 1913 – ) was the founder of the Alaskan Independence Party. He was also chair or gubernatorial nominee during most of the party's existence. He was also known, originally in his adopted hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska ...

and

Jim Sykes James L. Sykes (born April 8, 1950) is a producer and elected official in the state of Alaska notable for being one of the founders of the Green Party of Alaska. Early life and career Jim Sykes was born in Rapid City, South Dakota and moved to Al ...

, among other lawsuits, led the

Alaska Legislature The Alaska Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a bicameral institution consisting of the 40-member Alaska House of Representatives (lower house) and the 20-member Alaska Senate (upper house). There are 40 Ho ...

to eventually revamp and relax laws pertaining to party status and ballot access. The first instance of a minor party gaining recognition came in 1982, when the gubernatorial candidacy of

Dick Randolph Richard L. Randolph (born April 10, 1936) is a longtime insurance agency owner in Fairbanks, Alaska who is best known as the first person to be elected to partisan office under the banner of the Libertarian Party with his election to the Alaska ...

under the

was successful enough to meet the existing party recognition threshold.

References

External links

Alaska Division of Elections
''official website'' * * * * (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters) * {{Alaska Government of Alaska