It’s the 12 Days of Ballotpedia! Your gift powers the trusted, unbiased information voters need heading into 2026. Donate now!
Democratic Party primaries in Alaska, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 7
- Early voting: Oct. 22 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
| Democratic Party primaries, 2018 |
 |
| Primary Date |
| August 21, 2018 |
| Federal elections |
| Democratic primaries for U.S. House |
| State elections |
| Democratic primaries for Alaska legislature |
| Democratic primary for governor |
| Democratic primary for lieutenant governor |
| State party |
| Democratic Party of Alaska |
| State political party revenue |
Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.
Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[1][2]
Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018.[3] Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.[4][5][6]
Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.[7]
This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Alaska on August 21, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.
Federal elections
U.S. House
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyState elections
Alaska Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | I | I | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | I | I | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | S | S | S |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
Gubernatorial election
Democratic primary candidates
Lieutenant gubernatorial election
Democratic primary candidates
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of Alaska
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Alaska's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.
| Democratic Party of Alaska revenue, 2011 to 2016[8][9] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Federal account | State account(s) | Total |
| 2011 | $387,301.25 | $326,418.59 | $713,719.84 |
| 2012 | $512,208.80 | $31,835.24 | $544,044.04 |
| 2013 | $610,007.74 | $63,285.25 | $673,292.99 |
| 2014 | $4,342,682.49 | $201,267.83 | $4,543,950.32 |
| 2015 | $470,545.18 | $243,029.44 | $713,574.62 |
| 2016 | $3,771,370.85 | $146,489.11 | $3,917,859.96 |
Alaska compared to other states
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Primary election scheduling
Alaska was one of two states to hold a primary election on August 21, 2018.
Voter information
How the primary works
Alaska uses a top-four primary for congressional and state-level offices. Under Alaska's top-four primary system, all candidates for a given office run in a single primary election. The top four vote-getters, regardless of partisan affiliation, then advance to the general election.[10][11]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Alaska, polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time. Alaska is divided between the Alaska time zone and the Hawaii-Aleutian time zone. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[12][13]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Alaska, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Alaska, and at least 18 years of age or within 90 days of their 18th birthday. An individual convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude may not register to vote until their voting rights have been restored. If registered to vote in another state, applicants must be willing to cancel that registration to vote in Alaska. To vote in Alaska, registered voters must be at least 18 years old and have been a resident of the state and election district for at least 30 days.[14]
Prospective voters can register online, with a paper form, or in person at a Division of Elections Office or a voter registration agency.[15] The deadline to register or make changes to a registration is 30 days before an election.[16]
If submitting an application form by mail, fax, or email, the applicant must provide one of the following forms of identification either with his or her application or when voting for the first time:[16]
| “ |
|
” |
Automatic registration
- See also: Automatic voter registration
Alaska automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they apply for a Permanent Fund Dividend, unless they opt out.[18]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Alaska has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
- See also: Same-day voter registration
Alaska allows same-day voter registration in presidential election years, but voters who do so can vote only for the offices of president and vice president.[19]
Residency requirements
Alaska law requires voters to be a "resident of the state and of the election district that you seek to vote in for at least 30 days before an election," according to the Alaska Division of Elections.[15]
According to the Division of Elections' website, "you are considered an Alaska resident if you reside in the state and intend to remain a resident or, if you temporarily leave the state, you have intention to return (Active military members, spouses or dependents are exempt from the intent to return requirement)."[14]
Verification of citizenship
Alaska does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.[16]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[20] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site My Voter Information, run by the Alaska Department of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Alaska requires voters to present non-photo identification while voting.[21]
The following were accepted forms of identification as of November 2025. Click here for the list of acceptable identification included in state statute to ensure you have the most current information.[21]
| “ |
(a) Before being allowed to vote, each voter shall exhibit to an election official one form of identification, including
|
” |
To view Alaska law pertaining to voter identification, click here.
Early voting
Alaska permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Alaska. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by-mail.[22]
If a voter is already registered to vote, an absentee ballot application must be received by elections officials at least 10 days prior to the election. If a voter has not yet registered to vote, or needs to update voter registration information, an absentee/mail-in ballot application must be received at least 30 days before the election.[22]
See also
| Federal primaries in Alaska | State primaries in Alaska | Alaska state party apparatus | Alaska voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Footnotes
- ↑ CNN, "Why a 'federal jobs guarantee' is gaining steam with Democrats," April 26, 2018
- ↑ The Atlantic, "What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means," July 11, 2018
- ↑ CNBC, "Despite Ocasio-Cortez upset, Democratic primaries have not gone as far left as some argue," June 28, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "There Is a Revolution on the Left. Democrats Are Bracing." July 21, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "Democrats Are Moving Left. Don’t Panic," July 23, 2018
- ↑ Time, "How Democrats in Congress Responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Surprise Win," June 28, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "9 Democratic primaries to watch in 2018," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Alaska Public Offices Commission, "Search Reports," accessed May 2016 (Search term Alaska Democratic Party)
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search term Alaska Democratic Party)
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "August 18, 2020 Primary Election Information," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ The Alaska Legislature, "Alaska Stat. § 15.25.010," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Polling Place Hours," accessed November 24, 2025
- ↑ The Alaska Legislature, "Alaska Stat. § 15.15.320," accessed November 24, 2025
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Alaska Division of Elections, "Who Can Register And Who Can Vote?" accessed November 24, 2025
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Alaska Division of Elections, "Voter Registration," accessed November 24, 2025
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Alaska Division of Elections, "State of Alaska Voter Registration Application," accessed November 24, 2025
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Alaska Department of Revenue, “Automatic voter registration,” accessed November 24, 2025
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Presidential Elections," accessed November 24, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Alaska Legislature, "Alaska Stat. § 15.15.225," accessed November 25, 2025
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Alaska Division of Elections, “Absentee and Early Voting,” accessed November 24, 2025
