Alaska polls closed at 8 p.m. on Election Day, ending a full day of voting and starting the count in a race that has been watched far beyond the state. The first round of results was expected to be posted around 8:45 or 9 p.m., with more updates to follow through the night and into the early morning.
That made Tuesday night the moment voters had been waiting for after hours of steady turnout. By 4 p.m., more than 800 residents had already cast ballots at the Alaska Zoo polling place for two Anchorage Hillside precincts, a sign that the state’s vote was moving at a pace that should produce an early read even if the final picture takes longer.
For Daniel Johnson, who left the Alaska Zoo location with his family after voting, the main test was simple: he wanted the process to stay “straightforward by the book.” Johnson said that was “really important to me,” and said he backed Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins because of his willingness to cooperate with other parties. He also pointed to Kreiss-Tomkins’ background outside the road system, saying he understood how things work beyond Anchorage, Palmer and Wasilla.
The count is not unfolding in a vacuum. The U.S. Senate race has been shadowed for months by an expanding federal criminal investigation, and Tuesday brought another twist when the Justice Department issued a target letter to Marc Elias and others who may be part of that inquiry into Daniel J. Sullivan. The reported that the letter came on Tuesday, adding fresh attention to a contest already burdened by concerns about ballot confusion and the possibility that outside developments could shape how the race is read before all the votes are in.
Kirk Butcher, another voter at the Alaska Zoo site, said he supported the incumbent and wanted the Peltola-Sullivan saga to end. He described the situation as “bothersome” and “unfortunate,” but said he believed the economy was headed in the right direction. For election workers and voters alike, the broader picture was a familiar Alaska one: polls closed on time, ballots were cast, and the first results were due within the hour. What happens next is not whether the counting begins, but whether the Senate race can be separated from the federal inquiry long enough for the vote itself to settle the question.
