A ballot for the Alaska Democratic Party 2020 Presidential Preference Primary is photographed on March 25, 2020. (Clarion staff)

A ballot for the Alaska Democratic Party 2020 Presidential Preference Primary is photographed on March 25, 2020. (Clarion staff)

Democratic party turns to vote-by-mail primary

All in-person voting scheduled for April 4 has been canceled.

The Alaska Democratic Party has canceled in-person voting for the upcoming Democratic Presidential Primary election and extended the deadline for mailing in ballots, according to a March 23 announcement from the party.

Citing the need to curb potential community spread of the new coronavirus, the Party’s Executive Committee “unanimously approved” several changes to the party-run primary for presidential preference, which was originally scheduled for April 4.

All in-person voting scheduled for April 4 has been canceled, according to the announcement.

The deadline to vote by mail, originally March 24, has been extended to April 10.

The Alaska Democratic Party has already mailed ballots to over 71,000 registered Democrats in the state, according to the announcement, but they have also posted a downloadable ranked-choice ballot, voter registration forms and instructions on how to vote on the Party’s website.

The results of the primary will be tabulated no later than April 11, 2020 at 11:59 p.m., according to the announcement.

To access the downloadable ballot, visit alaskademocrats.org/downloadable-ballot.

Voters must use their own envelope and first-class postage when mailing a downloaded ballot. The party recommends that people use a wet towel or sponge to seal their envelopes rather than licking them to avoid the spread of the virus.

Anyone who wishes to vote in the primary but is not currently registered as a democrat can still download and complete the ballot and include a voter registration form updating their party affiliation in the envelope in order to have their vote counted. For the ballot to count, the voter must complete, sign and date the voter registration form.

New voters in Alaska should also include a photocopy of a document verifying identification, according to the instructions on the party’s website.

Ballots must be received by April 10, 2020 in order to be counted.

Ballots should be mailed to the following address:

Alaska Democratic Presidential Primary

P.O. Box 200547

Anchorage, AK 99520-9838

Only one ballot and voter registration form is allowed per envelope. If multiple ballots or forms are received in one envelope, all ballots in that envelope will be disqualified.

Ballots can only be accepted by mail. Ballots without postage paid will not be accepted. Pre-paid envelopes cannot be used to mail in ballots.

To check your current voter registration status, visit myvoterinformation.alaska.gov.

This year, the Alaska Democratic Party is using ranked-choice voting for the first time for their presidential primary. Ranked-choice voting allows a registered voter to rank up to five candidates in order of most- to least-preferred rather than only choosing one candidate.

Once all ballots are collected, each person’s first choice is counted. Any candidate that receives more than 15% of the first-choice votes will automatically earn delegates. After first choices have been counted, the candidate with the lowest percentage of first choices is eliminated, and voters who chose that candidate then have their second choice counted. That process is repeated until every candidate remaining has at least 15% of the vote. Candidates will earn their proportional share of delegates based on the percentage that they received in the final tally.

For more information, visit the party’s website at alaskademocrats.org.

More in News

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, a Soldotna Republican who co-chairs the House Education Committee, speaks in favor overriding a veto of Senate Bill 140 during floor debate of a joint session of the Alaska State Legislature on Monday. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)
By 1 vote, lawmakers sustain Dunleavy veto of education bill

The bipartisan bill included $680 increase to per-student funding

The Sterling Highway crosses the Kenai River near the Russian River Campground on March 15, 2020, near Cooper Landing, Alaska. (Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Russian River Campground closed for construction

The campground is expected to reopen on June 2

A man fishes in the Kenai River on July 16, 2018, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion/file)
Fish and Game announces series of closures and restrictions for king salmon fisheries

Cook Inlet king salmon stocks are experiencing a prolonged period of poor productivity, the department said

Montessori materials sit on shelves in a classroom at Soldotna Montessori Charter School on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Education debate draws state attention to peninsula charter schools

Dunleavy would like to see a shift of authority over charter school approvals from local school districts to the state

The Nikiski Senior Center stands under sunlight in Nikiski, Alaska, on Thursday, March 14, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Support available for community caregivers

Nikiski Senior Center hosts relaunched Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program

Flags flank the entrance to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office on Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Dunleavy vetoes bipartisan education bill

Senate Bill 140 passed the House by a vote of 38-2 and the Senate by a vote of 18-1 last month

The Alaska State Capitol on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
House passes bill altering wording of sex crimes against children

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer

Ben Meyer and Brandon Drzazgowski present to the Soldotna and Kenai Chambers of Commerce at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Watershed Forum gives update on streambank restoration

The watershed forum and other organizations are working to repair habitat and mitigate erosion

The entrance to the Kenai Police Department, as seen in Kenai, Alaska, on April 1, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai resident arrested on charges of arson

Kenai Police and Kenai Fire Department responded to a structure fire near Mountain View Elementary

Most Read