Questioned ballots from Alaska's primary count only after a bipartisan board verifies each voter

Ballots cast by Alaskans who were not on the precinct register on Aug. 18 count only if a bipartisan review board confirms the voter was qualified.

That board is working now, and the margins are thin. In the count released last week, the fourth and final advancing slot in the U.S. Senate primary stood 20 votes apart.

Poll workers hand out a questioned ballot when a name is missing from the register, a registration needs updating, or a voter lacks identification. The ballot itself matches a regular one, but it is not scanned or counted on Election Day.

On the envelope, the voter attests to being 18 or older and a U.S. citizen, gives a name, address, date of birth and at least one identifier, and signs an oath under penalty of perjury. The Questioned Ballot Review Board examines the envelopes afterward, rejecting unqualified ballots and counting eligible ones. Someone who is not registered can cast a questioned ballot, but it will not count unless registration is verified.

The League of Women Voters of Alaska and co-plaintiffs argue the review can delay or suppress votes when registrations are inactive or records are not verified in time. The Division of Elections guidance does not address that.