Published • loading... • Updated
State blames mail delivery issues for dozens of ballots from rural Alaska not counting in primary
State data show 3.4% of absentee ballots were rejected, and officials say rerouting will reduce late deliveries from rural polling sites.
- On Wednesday, the Alaska Division of Elections announced it will reroute absentee in-person ballots from rural western Alaska directly to the Region II Office in Anchorage, bypassing the Nome office to prevent mail delivery delays.
- Officials reported that 75 in-person absentee ballots from rural communities arrived too late to be counted in last month's primary, with the Alaska Division blaming a 'mail delivery delay' affecting seven communities.
- Naknek resident Sallyann Hughes discovered her ballot was rejected after casting it 13 days before the primary. She is seeking a 'documented accounting' of what happened to her vote after it entered election personnel custody.
- Calling the rejection a 'slap in the face,' Michelle Sparck, director of Get Out the Native Vote, supports the rerouting plan. She warned that such failures 'deepen voter apathy and reinforce the systemic perception that our votes do not matter.'
- While turnout in tribally affiliated precincts rose 48.8% over the 2024 primary, the state's 3.4% overall rejection rate for absentee ballots remains a concern. The Alaska Federation of Natives convention in late October will include an early voting push.
Insights by Ground AI
22 Articles
22 Articles
Associated Press News+17 Reposted by 17 other sources
State blames mail delivery issues for dozens of ballots from rural Alaska not counting in primary
Officials say 75 absentee in-person ballots cast by voters in rural western Alaska communities arrived too late to be counted in last month’s primary election.
·New York, United States
Read Full Article
Alaska BeaconReposted by 
KPVI
KPVIMail trouble canceled some Alaska primary votes in Western Alaska
About 1 in 30 absentee ballots cast in Alaska’s August primary election were rejected for procedural errors, according to data published this month by the Alaska Division of Elections. The 3.4% rejection rate for absentee ballots was almost double what it was in the 2024 general election but it was below the record high 4.5% […]
Coverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left9Leaning Right3Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Left, 43% Center
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left, 43% of the sources are Center
43% Center
L 43%
C 43%
14%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
