Editor’s note: This story will be updated as results come in tonight.
Polls in the Chilkat Valley opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday and while initial results are expected to roll in shortly after they close at 8 p.m., Alaskans won’t know about the outcome of some races for another two weeks.
Chilkat Valley residents are picking one of two state House candidates, one local running against an incumbent from Juneau, a seat in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, a new Governor and lieutenant governor, whether to retain judicial members and two ballot measures.
The polling place for Haines No. 1 is at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall, 111 First Ave. S in Haines. Haines No. 2 can vote at the Klehini Valley Fire Department on Mosquito Lake Road. Voters in Klukwan can vote at the Klukwan ANS Hall.
Many of the Chilkat Valley’s 2,476 registered voters have been voting absentee since Oct. 19, and turnout statewide has been high. The Alaska Division of Elections reported Monday that it had already received nearly 100,000 early and absentee votes.
The division expects to report first results about an hour after the polls close, with updates into the early morning.
Late-arriving mail ballots can still count if they’re postmarked on or before election day. Ballots mailed from within the United States must arrive by Nov. 13, while international ones have to arrive by Nov. 18.
All results shown before Nov. 18 will only show voters’ first-choices. Under the state’s ranked choice voting system, if a candidate gets more than 50% of those first choice votes, they are the winner.
The state does its ranked choice counts after Nov. 18, so the state’s closest races may not have a winner until then. Official results are not due until Nov. 25.
The division updates its social media and elections page as results roll in. Results that include Haines can be found under the “HD 03.”