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Anonymous ID: 882aad Aug. 16, 2022, 7:40 p.m. No.17405000   🗄️.is đź”—kun   >>5036 >>5298

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https://www.ktoo.org/2022/08/16/as-alaska-goes-to-the-polls-heres-what-to-watch-for-on-tuesday-night/

 

As Alaska goes to the polls, here’s what to watch for on Tuesday night

August 16, 2022 by James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

 

When the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday for Alaska’s primary election and the special U.S. House election, Alaska starts a wait of more than two weeks for the final result.

 

The state’s first-ever ranked choice election, which will decide who represents Alaska in the U.S. House until January, will be finalized Aug. 31, the last date that mailed-in ballots can arrive from Alaskans overseas and still be counted.

 

Though there’s weeks to go, some results will be released late Tuesday night, and political consultants say there’s some things to watch for.

 

Expect Peltola to take an early lead, but it may not last

On Tuesday night, said political adviser Jim Lottsfeldt, the “conventional wisdom” is that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola will be leading the special election, followed by either Republican Nick Begich III or Republican Sarah Palin.

 

That’s been indicated by the few available public polls of the race.

 

Though we won’t yet know the end result of the new ranked choice voting system, the Alaska Division of Elections has said it will publish the first choices of Alaska voters after polls close on election day.

 

Alaska has many more Republican and Republican-leaning voters than Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters, but Republican votes will be split between two candidates, likely giving Peltola an early lead, but not one large enough to clinch victory outright by taking more than 50% of the first-choice votes.

 

Mailed ballots will arrive through the 31st and could change the ranking, but if Peltola is leading, the experts say to look at second place for hints at what happens next.