The number of elections in Alaska (Iñupiaq: Alaaskam naliġagviat) varies by year, but typically municipal elections occur every year, plus primary and general elections for federal and state offices occur during even-numbered years. Alaska has a gubernatorial election every four years. Members of the state's United States congressional delegation run for election or re-election at the times set out in the United States Constitution. Primary elections assist in choosing political parties' nominees for various positions. On a regional basis (see list of boroughs and census areas in Alaska), elections also cover municipal issues. In addition, a special election can occur at any time.
In a 2020 study, Alaska was ranked as the 15th hardest state for citizens to vote in.
In 2020, Alaskan voters approved an initiative to implement a nonpartisan blanket top-four primary with a single, open primary where candidates from all parties are listed on the ballot and the top four vote-getters advance to the general election. This system went into effect with the 2022 elections. Prior to this, registered voters in Alaska were given a choice between three primary ballots reflecting a semi-closed primary system. Specifically, Democratic, Libertarian, Alaskan Independence and Independent candidates were listed on one ballot available to all registered voters and Republican candidates were listed on a second ballot available to voters registered as Republican, Nonpartisan or Undeclared. In 2024, Alaskans voted on a measure to repeal the system and return to partisan primaries; the measure narrowly failed to pass.
Ballot measures
Presidential elections
Alaskans have voted in United States presidential elections since 1960. With the exception of the candidacy of Barry Goldwater in 1964, the Republican Party has carried Alaska in every presidential election.
Vote in Alaska National vote Year Candidate Year Candidate 1960 Richard Nixon 1960 John F. Kennedy 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson 1968 Richard Nixon 1968 Richard Nixon 1972 Richard Nixon 1972 Richard Nixon 1976 Gerald Ford 1976 Jimmy Carter 1980 Ronald Reagan 1980 Ronald Reagan 1984 Ronald Reagan 1984 Ronald Reagan 1988 George H. W. Bush 1988 George H. W. Bush 1992 George H. W. Bush 1992 Bill Clinton 1996 Bob Dole 1996 Bill Clinton 2000 George W. Bush 2000 George W. Bush 2004 George W. Bush 2004 George W. Bush 2008 John McCain 2008 Barack Obama 2012 Mitt Romney 2012 Barack Obama 2016 Donald Trump 2016 Donald Trump2020 Donald Trump 2020 Joe Biden2024 Donald Trump 2024 Donald Trump
United States congressional delegation elections
United States Senate elections Alaska has a Class II Senator (currently Dan Sullivan) and a Class III Senator (currently Lisa Murkowski). Alaska first elected Senators in 1956 under the "Alaska–Tennessee Plan." They had no vote in the Senate, but were sent to represent Alaska as if they were, to lobby for statehood, and to assume the office of senator should the situation arise. Alaska's first voting senators were elected in the 1958 election; it was a special election due to the former territory's pending admission as a state.
Class II Senate elections 1960 United States Senate election in Alaska 1966 United States Senate election in Alaska 1972 United States Senate election in Alaska 1978 United States Senate election in Alaska 1984 United States Senate election in Alaska 1990 United States Senate election in Alaska 1996 United States Senate election in Alaska 2002 United States Senate election in Alaska 2008 United States Senate election in Alaska 2014 United States Senate election in Alaska 2020 United States Senate election in Alaska
Class III Senate elections 1962 United States Senate election in Alaska 1968 United States Senate election in Alaska 1974 United States Senate election in Alaska 1980 United States Senate election in Alaska 1986 United States Senate election in Alaska 1992 United States Senate election in Alaska 1998 United States Senate election in Alaska 2004 United States Senate election in Alaska 2010 United States Senate election in Alaska 2016 United States Senate election in Alaska 2022 United States Senate election in Alaska
United States House of Representatives elections Alaska has had a single congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since statehood was granted in 1959. 1958 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1960 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1962 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1964 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1966 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1968 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1970 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1972 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1974 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1976 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1978 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1980 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1982 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1984 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1986 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1988 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1990 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1992 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1994 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1996 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 1998 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2000 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2002 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2004 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2006 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2008 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2010 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2012 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2014 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2016 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2018 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2020 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2022 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska (Special) 2022 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska 2024 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska
Gubernatorial elections
1958 Alaska gubernatorial election 1962 Alaska gubernatorial election 1966 Alaska gubernatorial election 1970 Alaska gubernatorial election 1974 Alaska gubernatorial election 1978 Alaska gubernatorial election 1982 Alaska gubernatorial election 1986 Alaska gubernatorial election 1990 Alaska gubernatorial election 1994 Alaska gubernatorial election 1998 Alaska gubernatorial election 2002 Alaska gubernatorial election 2006 Alaska gubernatorial election 2010 Alaska gubernatorial election 2014 Alaska gubernatorial election 2018 Alaska gubernatorial election 2022 Alaska gubernatorial election
Gubernatorial election results YearDemocratic nomineeRepublican nomineeIndependent candidateAlaskan Independence nomineeLibertarian nomineeGreen nomineeOther candidateOther candidateCandidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#%Candidate#% 1958 William A. Egan 29,189 59.61% John Butrovich 19,299 39.41% Mike Dollinter 480 0.98% – – – – – 1962 William A. Egan 29,627 52.27% Mike Stepovich 27,054 47.73% – – – – – – 1966 William A. Egan 32,065 48.37% Wally Hickel 33,145 49.99% John Grasse 1,084 1.64% – – – – – 1970 William A. Egan 42,309 52.38% Keith H. Miller 37,264 46.13% – – – – 1,206 1.49% – 1974 William A. Egan 45,553 47.37% Jay Hammond 45,840 47.67% – Joe Vogler 4,770 4.96% – – – – 1978 Chancy Croft 25,656 20.22% Jay Hammond 49,580 39.07% Tom Kelly 15,656 12.34% Don Wright 2,463 1.94% – – 33,555 26.44% – 1982 Bill Sheffield 89,918 46.12% Tom Fink 72,291 37.09% – Joe Vogler 3,235 1.66% Dick Randolph 29,067 14.91% – – – 1986 Steve Cowper 84,943 47.31% Arliss Sturgulewski 76,515 42.61% – Joe Vogler 10,013 5.58% Mary Jane O'Brannon 1,050 0.58% – – – 1990 Tony Knowles 60,201 30.91% Arliss Sturgulewski 50,991 26.18% – Wally Hickel 75,721 38.88% – Jim Sykes 6,563 3.37% 942 0.48% – 1994 Tony Knowles 87,693 41.08% Jim Campbell 87,157 40.84% – Jack Coghill 27,838 13.04% – Jim Sykes 8,727 4.09% 1,743 0.82% – 1998 Tony Knowles 112,879 51.27% 39,331 17.86% – Sylvia Sullivan 4,238 1.92% – Desa Jacobsson 6,618 3.01% 40,209 18.26% 13,540 6.15% 2002 Fran Ulmer 94,216 40.70% Frank Murkowski 129,279 55.85% – Don Wright 2,185 0.94% Billy Toien 1,109 0.48% Diane E. Benson 2,926 1.26% 1,506 0.65% – 2006 Tony Knowles 97,238 40.97% Sarah Palin 114,697 48.33% Andrew Halcro 22,443 9.46% Don Wright 1,285 0.54% Billy Toien 682 0.29% David Massie 593 0.25% – – 2010 Ethan Berkowitz 96,519 37.67% Sean Parnell 151,318 59.06% – Don Wright 4,775 1.86% Billy Toien 2,682 1.05% – – – 2014 – Sean Parnell 128,435 45.88% Bill Walker 134,658 48.10% – Carolyn Clift 8,985 3.21% – 6,987 2.50% – 2018 Mark Begich 125,739 44.41% Mike Dunleavy 145,631 51.44% Bill Walker 5,757 2.03% – Billy Toien 5,402 1.91% – – – 2022 Les Gara 63,851 24.21% Mike Dunleavy 132,632 50.29% Bill Walker 54,688 20.73% – – – 11,817 4.48% –
Alaska Legislature elections Alaska Senators have terms of four years; half of them are elected every two years. Alaska Representatives have terms of two years; all of them are elected every two years.Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution of Alaska The state's redistricting process allows the power to shorten the terms of state senators should a redistricting action substantially alter their district. 1994 Alaska state elections 1996 Alaska state elections 1998 Alaska state elections 2000 Alaska state elections 2002 Alaska state elections 2004 Alaska state elections 2006 Alaska state elections 2008 Alaska state elections 2010 Alaska state elections 2012 Alaska state elections 2014 Alaska state elections 2016 Alaska state elections
Municipal elections Virtually all of the state's municipalities hold their general elections in early October, with the notable exception of Anchorage. North Pole for many years held their elections in November, in the process holding them on the same day as state elections on even-numbered years, but eventually abandoned that in favor of October elections. Anchorage switched from an early October election day to one in early April around 1992.
Political parties As of July 2026, there are three recognized political parties. Democratic Party (see also Alaska Democratic Party) Libertarian Party (see also Alaska Libertarian Party) Republican Party (see also Alaska Republican Party)
There are also several groups seeking recognized party status. To be officially recognized, these groups must have at least 5,000 registered voters affiliated with them.
Lawsuits launched by Joe Vogler and Jim Sykes, among other lawsuits, led the Alaska Legislature to eventually revamp and relax laws pertaining to party status and ballot access. The first instance of a minor party gaining recognition came in 1982, when the gubernatorial candidacy of Dick Randolph under the Libertarian Party was successful enough to meet the existing party recognition threshold. With the implementation of ranked-choice voting and nonpartisan primaries in the state, recognition no longer provides advantages for ballot access in non-presidential elections.
See also Political party strength in Alaska Women's suffrage in Alaska
References
External links Alaska Division of Elections official website
(State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)