Voter registration deadline for special U.S. House election is May 12

JUNEAU — The first ballots in the special election to temporarily fill the seat of the late U.S. Rep. Don Young will be mailed to overseas voters starting Tuesday.

For all Alaskans, the deadline is May 12 to register to vote or to update your mailing address on file with the Alaska Division of Elections. The division said Friday that a printed notice sent to some voters contained an incorrect date.

Having the correct address is critical because the election will be conducted by mail, and ballots will be sent to all registered voters.

Forty-eight candidates are vying to replace Young, who died last month on a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle.

The names of all 48 candidates will be printed on a single sheet of paper, and voters must pick one. There is no write-in option.

[Check your voter information online at myvoterinformation.alaska.gov]

The four candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the special general election in August. The winner of that election will be chosen through ranked-choice voting.

Ballots must be postmarked by June 11 in order to be counted by the division. Because most postmarking in Alaska takes place at the central post office in Anchorage, voters are being advised by political parties and third-party groups to send their ballots no later than June 9.

Completed ballots that arrive at the Division of Elections by June 21 will be counted.

Preliminary results will be announced June 11 and incrementally until a final tally on June 21. That result will be checked before a certified result is announced on or about June 25.