Alaska Seaplanes has been carrying some unusual cargo for the past two weeks in addition to its regular load of people, supplies, and medication: votes.
The regional aircraft is a part of an intricate logistical jigsaw that involves transporting Alaskans’ mail-in and in-person ballots for the midterm elections across the enormous expanse of America’s largest state, which is mostly connected by air and water rather than roadways.
This significant task explains why Alaskans are still waiting a week after the majority of US states learned the results of the midterm elections, which saw the Democrats retake both chambers of Congress from the Republicans.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Alaska, United States |
| Main Candidates | Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola |
| Election Process | In-person and mail-in voting |
| Key Challenge | Remote communities and ballot transportation |
| Transport Methods | Aircraft, boats and postal services |
| Counting Location | Juneau, Alaska |
| Expected Completion | November 18 |
| Main Concern | Accurate counting and voter privacy |
Alaska's Long Journey to Count Votes
Until November 18, when officials anticipate having counted all qualified ballots, the outcome of this close race between incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan and his Democratic opponent, former congressman Mary Peltola, may not be known.
The marketing director of Alaska Seaplanes, which services the southeast region of the state, Andy Kline told the News, “We do feel a sense of pride of making sure we do the job right, the really complicated job of getting all these ballots across thousands of miles in Alaska.
“We feel as though we are a part of those ballots’ final journey.”
Alaska Faces Delays in Vote Counting
According to Charles Stewart, an election expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, there is a delay in receiving mail-in ballots in addition to the technical difficulty of tallying votes from a state that is more than six times the size of the United Kingdom.
Election authorities have “chosen to err on the side of getting it right rather than a rush to report the second and third tranches of ballots that get counted,” according to Stewart.
Remote Alaska Villages Rely on Air Transport
Smaller or more isolated areas of Alaska take longer to get their materials on a plane late on election nite than more urban districts.
According to election attorney Scott Kendall, who previously worked on two campaigns for Lisa Murkowski, the other Republican senator from Alaska, “you get someone who’s basically running the election for their family and their neighbors because it’s such a small village.”
Voters are packed in special envelopes or containers and mailed in these smaller locations, which is where businesses like Alaska Seaplanes come in.
Peltola’s campaign attempted to obtain information regarding the number of absentee ballots that election authorities rejected, as well as details about those voters, but a judge rejected their request.
