Special Elections Timeline
April 27th, 2022: Ballots mailed to voters
May 12th, 2022: Last day to register to vote/update your voter registration address for the special election
May 27th, 2022: Early and Absentee in-person voting begins
June 11th, 2022: Special Primary Election Day. Last day to postmark a vote-by-mail ballot or cast a ballot at a Divisions of Elections Regional Office
June 25th, 2022: Special Primary Election results certified
August 16th, 2022: Special General Election Day! Last day to postmark a vote-by-mail ballot or cast a ballot at your polling location
Review your voter registration in the state database at myvoterinformation.alaska.gov.
Regular Elections Timeline
July 17th, 2022: Last day to register to vote/update voter registration address for the primary election
August 6th 2022: Last day to request an absentee ballot for the primary election + Early voting opens
August 16th 2022: Primary Election Day! Last day to postmark vote-by-mail ballots or cast a ballot at your polling location
September 2nd, 2022: Primary election results are certified
October 9th, 2022: Last day to register to vote/update voter registration address for the general election
October 24th, 2022: Early voting locations open for the general election
October 29th, 2022: Last day to request an absentee ballot for the general election
November 8th, 2022: General Election Day! Last day to postmark vote-by-mail ballots or cast a ballot at your polling location
One month prior, hours and any additional voting locations will be announced.
Why vote in this special election?
Former Congressman Young was the only Congressperson for Alaska in the US House of Representatives. This means that his voice and opinion were the sole representation of Alaska’s needs. This election is a chance to not only fill this vacancy, but fill it with a person who can be trusted by you to make the right decisions for our state.
Who are the candidates?
There are currently 48 candidates running to replace Congressman Young for the remainder of his term. They come from a diverse range of backgrounds, identities, political parties, and ideologies.
See the complete list, below, to find a candidate that speaks to you!
*https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/candidatelistspecprim.php
*Check out the official Sample Ballot: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/election/2022special_primary_sb/SB-English%20HD99.pdf
FAQs
What is the special election? Why is it taking place?
A special election is being held in Alaska to fill the seat of Congressman Don Young in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Young, a 25-term Representative of Alaska, passed away in March.
Although Congressman Young’s term was set to end in January, he was the only representative for the state of Alaska in the U.S. House. A special election must be held to make sure that Alaskans have fair representation until January. According to federal law, it would be illegal to appoint someone to this position instead of holding an election
When will the special election take place?
The special election will take place in two parts, there will be a primary special election, and then a general special election.
The primary special election will take place on June 11th, 2022. This election will be an open primary, meaning that all of the candidates that filed to replace Congressman Young will be on the same ballot, regardless of their party. Each voter will receive the same ballot with all of the candidates.
Voters will select their ONE favorite candidate from this list. The top four vote-winners will move on to the special general election, regardless of their party.
The general primary election will take place on August 16th, 2022. This election will be a ranked-choice voting election. All voters will receive a ballot with the top-four vote winners from the special primary election. Voters will then pick their first choice candidate, and rank the remaining candidates from their MOST preferred to their LEAST. The candidate who receives 50+1% of the vote will replace Congressman Young until his term expires in January.
You can practice ranking candidates through the Division of Elections’ “I Voted” Sticker Student Art Contest
How can I vote in the special elections?
The special primary election will be a vote-by-mail election. All eligible voters will be mailed their ballot package, along with a pre-stamped envelope to return the ballot in the mail. Ballots must be completed by the voter, sealed properly, and signed and witnessed before being mailed back.
There will be the opportunity to vote in person at a regional elections office during the 15 days leading up to the election, June 11th. Voters may arrive at the regional offices to vote in person. Certain communities will also have sites open for a few days leading up to the election to vote in person. More information to come on this possibility.
The general special election will be a regular election, with options to vote by mail, or to vote at a physical polling location, as in previous election years.
Why will the primary special election be completed through the mail?
Due to the short timeline of the special election, and resource and staff shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it will not be possible for the Divisions of Elections to carry out the special primary election in a timely manner without having a vote-by-mail election.
Voting by mail is safe, easy, and secure. Many communities across Alaska hold their local elections by mail.
How will I fill out my ballot?
For the open primary election ending on June 11th, voters will fill out a ballot that is mailed to their registered voting address, and then return that ballot in the mail.
The ballot will contain a list of all registered candidates running to fill the seat of former Congressman Young until his term expires in January. Voters will choose ONE candidate from the list that they would like to see in the special general election. Voters can choose any candidate on the ballot, regardless of their party affiliation.
Language assistance?
It is important that everyone is able to receive voting information in their preferred language. The State Division of Elections is required to provide information to voters in culturally appropriate language. Please see their website HERE for the list of languages available and the resources under each.
If you are in need of different language services, please reachout to the Division’s Language Assistance Program:
Language Compliance Manager:
Email: samantha.mack@alaska.gov
Phone; Toll-free: (907) 275-2333; (866) 954-8683
Fax; Toll-free: (907) 522-2341; (855) 977-3592
Office Location/Mailing Address:
Language Assistance Program
Region 2 Elections Office
2525 Gambell Street, Suite 100
Anchorage, AK 99503-2838
There are many community organizations that are also working to ensure language justice in voting spaces!
**Alaska Public Interest Research Group
**Native Peoples Action Community Fund
What will the next steps be?
After the special primary election on June 11th, the top-four vote winners will move along to the special general election. This election will take place on August 16th. On this ballot, voters will see the top four candidates from the special primary listed. Voters will then rank the candidates in order of their preference.
For the August 16th election, voters will be able to vote in person at their polling location, by a requested mail ballot, or in-person absentee.
Additional questions?
Reach out to Native Peoples Action at info@nativepeoplesaction.org
or call us at (907) 917-0854
Contact your Regional Elections Office: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/contactusandsitemap.php
Things to note
There is an overlap between the general special election to replace Former Congressman Young and the primary election for the regularly scheduled 2022 election cycle. Both elections will take place on August 16th, 2022. Both elections will take place on the same ballot.
The August 16th ballot will therefore have one ranked-choice section for the top-four winners of the special primary election to replace Congressman Young, in addition to an open primary section for each seat up for election in the November 2022 General Election.
Voters will be able to vote via a requested absentee ballot, or in-person at their polling location. ***Keep an eye out for new Voter ID Cards from the state of Alaska, which will reflect any district changes determined by the 2020 Census!
Graphics – to share!
Download and share these across social media, in emails, or through text.
