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Alaska signature requirements
Contents |
Federal offices
U.S. Senate
Partisan candidates must pay a $100 filing fee. Independent candidates must collect signatures equal to 1% of the voters who cast ballots in the preceding general election. Write-in candidates must file a letter of intent with the Director of Elections or any Regional Election Supervisor.[1]
U.S. House
Partisan candidates must pay a $100 filing fee. Independent candidates must collect signatures equal to 1% of the voters who cast ballots in the preceding general election. Write-in candidates must file a letter of intent with the Director of Elections or any Regional Election Supervisor.[1]
Filing deadlines
2012
Partisan candidates must file their fee and declaration of candidacy by June 1, 2012. Independent candidates must file their signatures by August 28, 2012. Write-in candidates must file their letter of intent by November 1, 2012.[1]
State offices
Statewide executive offices
Partisan candidates must pay a $100 filing fee. Independent candidates must collect signatures equal to 1% of the voters who cast ballots in the preceding general election. Write-in candidates must file a letter of intent with the Director of Elections or any Regional Election Supervisor.[1]
State legislature
Partisan candidates must pay a $30 filing fee. Independent candidates must collect signatures equal to 1% of the voters who cast ballots in the preceding general election in their legislative district. Write-in candidates must file a letter of intent with the Director of Elections or any Regional Election Supervisor.[1]
Note: For the first election after legislative redistricting, only 50 signatures are required for independent legislative candidates.[2]
Filing deadlines
2012
Partisan candidates must file their fee and declaration of candidacy by June 1, 2012. Independent candidates must file their signatures by August 28, 2012. Write-in candidates must file their letter of intent by November 1, 2012.[1]
Ballot measures
 |
|---|
| Laws • History |
| List of measures |
The number of signatures required is based on the total number of votes cast in the last general election. For both initiatives and referendums, signatures equal to 10% of these votes are required.
| Year | Initiated statute | Veto referendum |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 30,169 | 30,169 |
| 2012 | 25,875 | 25,875 |
| 2010 | 32,734 | 32,734 |
| 2008 | 23,831 | 23,831 |
See law: Alaska Statues, Sec. 15.45.140
Basis of calculation
For an initiative or referendum, signatures equal to 10% of the total votes cast in the last general election are required. This was 23,831 through 2008. Since 327,341 votes were cast in the 2008 general election, the requirement increased to 32,734 for 2010 measures. For 2012, the requirement will go down to 25,875[3]. There were only 258,746 ballots cast in the 2010 general election.
Geographic distribution
- See also: Distribution requirement
Signatures must be from 7% of voters in the previous general election in at least 3/4 of the state's 40 house districts.
An older requirement, changed with the passage in 2004 of the Distribution Requirement for Initiatives Act in 2004, was that at least one voter needed to sign from each of at least 27 districts.
Recall
The recall petition must be signed by qualified voters equal in number to 25% of those who voted in the preceding general election or in the senate or house district of the official to be recalled. Judicial officers cannot be recalled.
Signature deadlines
2012
The deadline to submit signatures for an initiative or referendum in Alaska for its 2012 ballot is January 17, 2012.
See also
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 U.S. Congress elections
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 state legislative elections
- Laws governing the initiative process in Alaska
- History of I & R in Arkansas
External links
- Alaska Division of Elections, Filing for Office: A Handbook for Candidates
- Alaska Division of Elections, Petitions and Ballot Issues
