Voters line up on Aug. 17, 2026, at the early voting station set up in Anchorage's Midtown Mall. Voters reported waiting about an hour to cast their primary election ballots. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
This article is developing and will be updated.
Early tallies from Tuesday’s statewide primary election showed overwhelming support for a ballot measure that will restrict the amount of money that political candidates can accept from groups and individuals.
With 242 of 403 precincts reporting by 10 p.m. Tuesday night, Ballot Measure 1 had the support of 71.8% of participating voters.
That’s only slightly less than the 73% margin that a similar ballot measure received in 2006.
The limits imposed by that 2006 measure remained in place until 2021, when a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Alaska’s limits on campaign contributions were so tight that they violated the First Amendment.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration declined to appeal that decision, and the state’s 2022, 2024 and 2026 elections have taken place without limits on the amount of money that candidates may accept.
Vote-counting is expected to continue through Aug. 28, the deadline for mailed absentee ballots to reach the Alaska Division of Elections.
The measure will take effect after this year’s elections.
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Courtesy of Alaska Beacon
