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Election Day polls open until 8 p.m.; first results expected by 9 p.m., ranked-choice tally on Nov. 18
Juneau ballots include one competitive legislative race, two voting-related ballot measures including RCV repeal, and statewide races for governor and Congress
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
Voting in one of the nation’s most-watched states began at 7 a.m. Tuesday, but while the first results will be released about an hour after polls close at 8 p.m. the outcome of the most competitive races won’t be known for 15 days.
Juneau residents in two state legislative districts are selecting one state House member in each, a governor, one seat in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, and two voting-related ballot measures.
One of the first voters at the precinct site at the Tlingit and Haida Community Council building on Hospital Drive was Steve Hill, a Juneau resident for 17 years, who said a high level of negativity during the campaign affected his ballot.
"So I kind of voted for the folks that weren't as negative in there, because there was a lot of it going around," he said. "And so this was one of my first elections where I guess I kind of stayed switched sides."
Sign wavers were out before polls opened at various points along Egan Drive. The most diverse group was a dozen or so people at the Douglas Bridge intersection that included supporters of competing candidates and opposing positions on ballot measures.
Kelly Shattuck, holding a sign supporting Republican U.S. House Rep. Nick Begich III, and Eric Kueffner, holding a sign supporting Democratic U.S. challenger Mary Peltola, both said they’ve been sign waving for many years and this is the first time they’ve been among a mixed group. Both also described the mood among participants as upbeat.
"We’re all friendly — it’s Juneau," Shattuck said.
The lone competitive state legislative race on some Juneau ballots is for the District 4 seat representing the Mendenhall Valley, and surrounding communities in northern Southeast Alaska including Skagway and Haines. Annette Kreitzer, R-Haines, is challenging incumbent Andi Story, D-Democrat, who is seeking her fifth term.
Both candidates were waving signs with supporters to morning rush-hour traffic — Kreitzer at the McNugget Intersection and Story at the Mendenhall Wetlands Scenic View Turnout. Both said they planned to be at private watch parties on Tuesday night to await the results.
House District 3 Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, left, and challenger Annette Kreitzer, R-Haines, wave to morning commuters on Egan Drive on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)
District 4 Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, who represents the downtown area and Douglas, is running unopposed for a fifth term.
The most-watched race nationally is the U.S. Senate race where incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan is facing Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, independent Dan J. Sullivan and Republican Gerald Heikes. That race may determine which party controls the Senate during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term.
The U.S. House race pits incumbent Republican Rep. Nick Begich III against independent Bill Hill, federally-imprisoned Democrat Eric Hafner and Libertarian Jim McDermott.
The governor’s race features four challengers seeking to succeed Republican Mike Dunleavy, who cannot run again after serving two consecutive terms: Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, and Republicans Bernadette Wilson, Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor.
The most-watched ballot proposition is Ballot Measure 2, which will repeal the state’s ranked-choice ballot process as well as a regulation requiring third-party political donors to disclose the source of their funds. Ballot Measure 3 essentially reiterates the state’s existing ban on noncitizen voting.
The first batch of election results is scheduled to be released at about 8:45 to 9 p.m., according to Stephen Kirch, a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Elections.
Historically, between 75-90% of Election Day results are available by noon Wednesday, according to the Alaska Beacon. The online news website also notes "a disproportionate number of Democratic voters have cast ballots in advance of Election Day and some advance votes are counted after Election Day, initial results will be more right-leaning than the final result."
More than 90,000 Alaskans had early and absentee ballots out of about 605,000 total registered voters as of Sunday, according to the Alaska Division of Elections. Voter turnout in Alaska’s 2022 midterm elections was 50.2%, while turnout for the 2024 presidential election was 63.8%.
Juneau’s polling locations are:
• The University of Alaska Southeast Recreation Center, 12300 Mendenhall Loop Rd.
• Auke Bay Ferry Terminal, 13485 Glacier Hwy.
• Glacier Valley Baptist Church, 3921 Mendenhall Loop Rd.
• St. Brendan’s Episcopal Church, 4207 Mendenhall Loop Rd.
• Mendenhall Valley Public Library, 3025 Dimond Park Loop.
• Douglas Public Library, 1016 3rd St.
• Juneau Christian Center, 8001 Glacier Hwy.
• Alaska State Library, Archives and Museum, 395 Whittier St.
• State Office Building, 333 Willoughby Ave.
• Juneau Tlingit and Haida Community Council building, 3235 Hospital Drive.
• Alaska Electrical Light & Power, 5601 Tonsgard Ct.
• Mendenhall Mall, 9107 Mendenhall Mall.
• Juneau Fire Station (downtown), 820 Glacier Ave. A listing of precinct sites and an interactive map are available on the Division of Elections website.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
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