Updated: 1 hour ago Published: 1 hour ago

Voter turnout ahead of Alaska’s Aug. 20 primary election is down from the past two elections but is running ahead of what it was in 2018 and 2016, the last two primaries without extraordinary factors in play.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic emergency spurred many Americans to vote by mail, and in 2022, Alaska’s primary election coincided with a special election for the state’s lone U.S. House seat.

Through Thursday, the Alaska Division of Elections had received 12,578 absentee ballot requests through mail, fax or email, according to figures posted on the division’s website. Additional requests are expected in coming days.

Two years ago, Alaskans requested more than 27,000 absentee ballots by mail, fax or email for the primary, and in 2020, the figure was more than 62,000 for the primary.

The Alaska Republican Party, Alaska Democratic Party and the Voter Participation Center have all sent unsolicited absentee ballot request forms to voters, according to the Division of Elections.

Though this year’s requests are lagging behind the past two primary elections, they’re running ahead of the 10,807 that were issued ahead of the 2018 primary or the 10,364 that were issued ahead of the 2016 primary.

Those figures do not include thousands more ballots that were cast at early voting sites or at places with in-person absentee voting.

According to the division, 2,100 Alaskans cast ballots at early voting sites between Aug. 5 and Aug. 7 this year.

In-person absentee voting, used at many rural Alaska voting locations, was disrupted last week by delays that prevented ballots from arriving in time for the Aug. 5 start of early voting.

All polling stations were open by Friday, the Alaska Division of Elections said.

James Boxrud, a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service, said on Friday that the agency “is committed to the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail.”

“Regarding election materials shipped by the Alaska Division of Elections, we are aware those materials have all been delivered or are available for pickup by local election officials. We continue working closely with state and local election authorities to resolve concerns ahead of the August 20th primary election,” he said by email.

Friday was the deadline for Alaskans to request that an absentee ballot be mailed to them, but voters can request an emailed ballot through Aug. 19.

A ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted, and because much of Alaska’s mail is postmarked in either Anchorage or Juneau, voters are encouraged to have their ballot postmarked by hand inside a local post office.

Ballots will be counted if they are appropriately postmarked and arrive no later than 10 days after Election Day.

Originally published by the Alaska Beacon, an independent, nonpartisan news organization that covers Alaska state government.

Hawaiian Holdings (NASDAQ:HA) dropped 15% amid investor concern about a potential Dept. of Justice lawsuit to block its planned sale to Alaska Air (NYSE:ALK).

The shares fell after a Dept. of Justice trial attorney who was involved in the DOJ’s lawsuit to block JetBlue (JBLU) from buying Spirit Airlines (SAVE) filed to practice in Hawaii.

Brian Hanna, an attorney for the DOJ, notified the court, pursuant to the local rules of U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, filed an application for his attention to appear before the U.S. to attend to the interests of the U.S., according to a legal filing from Monday being circulated among traders.

To be clear, the legal filing didn’t mention Hawaiian Holdings (HA) or Alaska Air (ALK).

Alaska Air (ALK) didn’t immediately respond to Seeking Alpha email request for comment.

The filing comes ahead of Thursday deadline for the regulator to decide if it will file a lawsuit to block the airline combination. The airlines disclosed earlier this month that they agreed with the DOJ to extend the review period for their planned deal until Aug 15. The DOJ’s deadline was originally Aug. 5.

Several media outlets said last month that DOJ was preparing to sue to block the deal.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Plants and animals that aren’t indigenous to Alaska are called invasive species, and they can harm the natural environment.

Now, wildlife and plant biologists across the state are saying the issue is worse than ever before.

“We’re kind of facing the most invasive species we’ve ever faced in Alaska, just with increased travel for both locals and visitors,” said Tim Stallard, an invasive species manager and consultant in Anchorage. “There are more threats and invasive species present than we’ve ever seen before.”

Stallard, who works with various public agencies, identifies and mitigates invasive plant species.

“People planted these originally as an ornamental,” said Stallard, pointing to an area of Anchorage’s Chester Creek Trail where the Mayday tree has eliminated the presence of all other plants. “They’re very cold hearty. They grow well here in Anchorage.”

Not only are they annoying, but the Mayday trees are poisonous to moose, Stallard said, and can reduce a healthy food supply for fish.

“In this little area, there’s no food for moose,” he said. “Our native trees contribute a lot of insects to our streams that the baby salmon eat. These trees contribute a few insects but support a lot lower, fewer different species and a lower number. If more areas are allowed to become a monoculture like this, there’s a concern for salmon food availability.”

The European bird cherry, or Mayday tree, is an example of a greater, more serious problem in Alaska.

“It’s very serious,” Stallard said. “Alaskans, we’re so tied in to our natural environment. We rely on our natural resources for our jobs, for employment, for fun, for culture, for food. Everybody in different ways but we all rely on and value our natural resources.”

There are about 50,000 invasive species in Alaska, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The ADF&G has advice, and a list of laws, people are encouraged, or required, to follow when knowingly, or unknowingly, interacting with invasive species.

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