No, it’s not Tuesday, and no, these aren’t typical primary election results, but we’ll be getting news out of Alaska tonight regarding the special election held on August 16th to complete the remainder of the term of Republican Representative Don Young, who passed away in March.
As we noted on the 16th:
Alaska has Ranked Choice Voting, so the initial contest (held in June) narrowed the list down to four, including former governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Nick Begich III (whose father held the seat before Don Young), Al Gross (who ran for U.S. Senate in 2020), and Democrat Mary Peltola. Gross has since withdrawn from the race. Depending on how close it is, the final outcome may not be known until all ballots are in (15 days from today).
As RedState’s Cameron Arcand explained:
While Palin is the favorite to win, there is one thing standing in her way: The new ranked-choice voting system in Alaska. Currently, the race is between Palin, Republican Nathan Begich III, and Democrat Mary Peltola, and the bizarre system of having first, second, and third choices on the ballot could make this race anybody’s game.
If Palin or another candidate does not hit 50 percent in the first round, the lowest vote-getter of that round is scrapped. The process keeps repeating itself until one candidate hits the majority, and they will be the winner. For Palin, it will ultimately boil down to making sure that there are plenty of voters who chose her not just for the first choice, but the second choice as well. That likely won’t be the case for Democratic voters, as she is endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
See below for live results, and stay with RedState for the latest election coverage throughout the night and into Thursday.