Alaska’s mid‑term ballot count delayed by remote logistics

Alaska’s Senate race remains uncalled a week after most US states announced their mid‑term results, with officials expecting the final count by 18 November.

Ballots cast by mail and in person are transported across the state’s vast, water‑ and air‑linked terrain, often by Alaska Seaplanes, which delivers the papers to the capital, Juneau, for scanning and counting.

While some precincts can report initial results on election night, the sheer size of the state – more than six times the area of the United Kingdom – and the reliance on mail mean many ballots arrive later. Mail‑in votes may be received up to ten days after the election, and overseas ballots up to fifteen days, if post‑marked by election day.

All ballots, regardless of how they were cast, ultimately travel to Juneau, a city reachable only by plane or boat, where election officials complete the review. If no candidate secures over 50 % of the vote, ranked‑choice voting will be applied.

The delayed count affects the close contest between incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger former Congresswoman Mary Peltola, as well as other statewide races for governor and the US House of Representatives.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Joerg Mangelsen / Pexels.