Alaska Senate race remains undecided days after Election Day

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Fewer than 700 votes separated the top two candidates in Alaska’s Senate race Friday with 74% of ballots counted. Democrat Mary Peltola led Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan by a slim margin, which had not changed in more than 24 hours.

As polls closed on Election Day and states began to turn blue or red, Mississippi and Alaska were the only two states left without a new senator.

As Americans keep an eye out for updates on the Last Frontier, Peltola reminded supporters that a long count is not new for Alaska.

“The results are not gonna be fast, but Alaskans are patient... It will be weeks. We know this. We know this. This is how it’s always been. This is normal. This is Alaska normal,” Peltola said.

Alaska has a ranked choice voting system, with ballots tallied in rounds. In a general election, a candidate must reach 50% or more of the vote to win.

If no candidate reaches 50% using first-place votes, officials take the last-place finisher and reallocate those ballots to voters’ second and third choices. That tabulation will not happen before Nov. 18.

Ballots also must be flown in or mailed from hard-to-reach areas of Alaska, meaning the process usually is lengthy, though this year is different.

Sullivan was not the only Dan on the ballot. Another Dan Sullivan was listed as a third-party option. The Justice Department and the FBI are now investigating.

“What’s the first order of business when [Peltola is] going to run for the Senate, to put together a secret scheme. To trick Alaskans to throw away their vote and rig the election,” Sullivan said.

The Trump administration sued to stop the election from being certified if Peltola wins. The administration claimed Democrats plotted to add the same-named candidate as a ploy to pull votes.