Alaska voters go to the polls tomorrow for the state’s 2026 primary election, a contest that will decide the four candidates advancing to November’s general election for governor, the state’s lone US Senate seat and its single US House district, under a nonpartisan voting system now facing its third statewide test since Alaskans approved it in 2020.
Polling places across the state will open at 7am and close at 8pm on Tuesday, 18 August, with the Alaska Division of Elections administering the vote. Early voting has already been underway for the contest, which includes competitive races for governor, US Senate, US House and most seats in the state legislature.
Alaska Primary Elections 2026: What System Are Voters Using This Time?
This marks the third election cycle to be conducted under Alaska’s “Top Four” system, which combines an open, all-candidate primary with a ranked-choice voting general election, according to analysis published by the nonpartisan group FairVote.</cite> Under the arrangement, all candidates for a given office, regardless of party, appear on a single primary ballot, with the top four vote-getters advancing to November, where voters will then rank their preferences.
FairVote’s research found that Alaska voters have responded favourably to the reform, with 84 percent of respondents in a 2024 survey describing ranked-choice voting as simple, and 62 percent backing the new primary system in a 2022 poll, while 60 percent said that year’s elections felt more competitive than in previous cycles. The organisation also noted that the number of uncontested legislative races in the state has fallen by half since 2020, and that 86 percent of this year’s state legislative races are contested, a figure well above the national average.
Alaska Primary Elections 2026: Which Races Are Drawing The Most Attention?
The governor’s race is wide open, with incumbent Republican Mike Dunleavy term-limited and ineligible to seek a third consecutive term. The Republican field includes several declared candidates vying to succeed him, while the eventual top four finishers, irrespective of party, will proceed directly to the November ballot.
The state’s US Senate race features a rematch of sorts. Incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who was re-elected in 2020 with 54 percent of the vote, is seeking another term, while former congresswoman Mary Peltola has entered the race as a challenger. In the US House race, one-term Republican incumbent Nick Begich III is seeking re-election after winning his seat in a closely fought 2024 contest against then-incumbent Peltola.
Alaska Primary Elections 2026: How Are Alaskans Casting Their Ballots?
As of 31 July, just under 10,000 voters had already requested absentee ballots for tomorrow’s election, with hundreds having mailed in their votes ahead of polling day, according to figures released by the Alaska Division of Elections. Alaska remains a no-excuse absentee voting state, meaning any registered voter may request a mail ballot without providing a reason. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot online, by email, fax or in person fell at 5 pm Alaska time on Monday, 17 August, according to the Alaska Federation of Natives’ voter guide.
Alongside the candidate races, voters will also decide a ballot measure on whether to cap the amount of money political donors may give directly to candidates. Review boards have been verifying absentee ballot envelopes since 11 August, with the ballots inside to be counted once polls close tomorrow evening, and mailed ballots postmarked by election day accepted through 28 August.
Because most legislative districts have four or fewer candidates on the primary ballot, the practical significance of tomorrow’s vote falls disproportionately on the state’s marquee federal and gubernatorial races, where competition for the four advancing slots is expected to be far tighter.
