Alaskans are waiting for more votes in Senate and governor's races. Both could go to ranked tabulations

Alaska has not yet determined who will win its U.S. Senate seat or its governorship, and both contests may be settled by ranked tabulation. Under state rules, rankings are counted only if no one tops 50% of first-choice votes. Overseas ballots are accepted for 15 days, so officials are aiming for Nov. 18 to run that count. Ballots mailed within the U.S. get 10 days, a window that matters for remote communities reliant on air mail, according to PBS NewsHour.

The Senate race pits Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan against Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman. The Justice Department, acting on President Donald Trump's direction, sued to block certification if Sullivan loses, pointing to possible confusion with a second candidate, retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan. A federal judge dismissed the suit, and the department appealed. The New York Times reported that senior Peltola aides appeared to help recruit that candidate; Peltola denies involvement, and federal authorities confirmed a criminal investigation.

In the governor's contest, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins hopes to end a long Democratic drought against three Republicans, including Trump-endorsed Bernadette Wilson. Voters are also deciding whether to scrap the state's election system, which they narrowly kept two years ago.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →