The Alaska Division of Elections has sent out 97,472 absentee ballots to Alaska voters for the Nov. 3 general election, with 2,965 already returned, according to the division.

From State House Districts 29, 30 and 31, which include the Kenai Peninsula, the Alaska Division of Elections has received 8,758 applications for absentee ballots. The division has sent out 8,142 ballots and 128 have been returned.

The division has received the most applications for absentee ballots from voters in State House District 31, which includes Homer and the Southern peninsula. From District 31, the division has received 3,701 applications for ballots. Of the 3,463 the division has sent, 63 have been returned for a return rate of 1.82%, the highest of all three districts.

The district that sent the next-highest number of absentee ballot applications is State House District 29, which includes Nikiski, Seward, Hope and Sterling. From District 29, the state has received 2,671 absentee ballot applications. The state has sent out 2,481 and has had 43 returned, for a return rate of 1.7%.

State House District 30, which includes Kenai and Soldotna, voters have submitted 2,386 applications for absentee ballots. Of the 2,198 the division has sent out, 22 have been returned, for a return rate of 1.0%.

The percentage of voters in the Kenai Peninsula’s three state house districts who have applied for an absentee ballot, been sent an absentee ballot and returned their absentee ballot is 1.57%. This is compared to the statewide response rate to-date of 3.04%.

The number of absentee ballots sent by the Division of Elections one month before the 2020 general election is comparable to the total number of ballots the division sent out for the Nov. 6, 2018 general election. In 2018, the division sent out 102,284 total ballots and got 97,571 back, for an overall response rate of 95.4%, as of Nov. 27, 2018.

The deadline to register to vote or to change voter registration information was Sunday, Oct. 4. Alaska voters can apply for an absentee ballot online at absenteeballotapplication.alaska.gov with an Alaska driver’s license or a state ID card. A paper absentee ballot application form, which can be accessed at the same web address, is available for those who do not have a state driver’s license or ID.

Voters have until Oct. 24 to request an absentee ballot, which must be returned or postmarked by Nov. 3.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.