Ballot access requirements for political parties in Alaska
From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 20 min
 in Alaska |
|
|
 |
Ballot access for major and minor party candidates |
|---|
| Ballot access for presidential candidates |
| List of political parties in the United States |
| Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions |
| Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker |
|
Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
|
Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Alaska, see this article.
Process for a political party to obtain ballot status[edit]
See statutes: 15.80.008 and 15.80.010 of the Alaska Election Law
Definitions[edit]
A recognized political party in Alaska is an organized group of voters that represents a political program and has at least 5,000 registered voters in the state.[1][2][3][4]
A political group in Alaska is an organized group of voters seeking status as a recognized political party. A person affiliated with a political group may file a declaration of candidacy, to appear on the primary election ballot, in the same manner as a person who is affiliated with a political party.[1][2][4]
A limited political party in Alaska is a political group that organizes for the purpose of selecting candidates for electors for President and Vice President of the United States. A group may file a petition to become a limited political party, and maintains this status if its presidential candidate receives at least three percent of the votes.[1][2][4]
Requirements[edit]
To obtain recognized political party status, a political group must perform the following on or before May 31 of the election year for which the group seeks recognition:[4]
- File an application with the director of the Alaska Division of Elections requesting that the number of registered voters for their group be tracked
- Submit bylaws to the director and the United States Department of Justice
- Meet the statutory definition of a "political party" by fulfilling the criteria described above
Bylaws[edit]
As noted above, a political group seeking political party status must submit a notice, bylaws, and documentation to the director of the Alaska Division of Elections no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 1 of the calendar year before the year a primary election will be held. These materials must be provided by the party's chairperson or another party official designated by the party's bylaws. Party bylaws must be pre-cleared by the United States Department of Justice before submission. Documentation of the preclearance must accompany the submitted bylaws.[4]
Political parties[edit]
As of November 2024, there were four recognized political parties in Alaska. These are listed in the table below.[5]
| Party | Website link | By-laws/platform link |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party of Alaska | Link | Party platform |
| Alaskan Independence Party | Link | Party platform |
| Libertarian Party of Alaska | Link | Party platform |
| Republican Party of Alaska | Link | Party platform |
Noteworthy events[edit]
Changes to ballot access requirements effective January 1, 2023[edit]
On May 17, 2022, the Alaska state legislature passed Senate Bill 161, which changed the statutory definition of a political party in Alaska. This resulted in a change to the ballot access requirements for political parties in the state. Before SB 161, political groups were required to have "registered voters in the state equal in number to at least three percent of the total votes cast for governor at the preceding general election" in order to become recognized political parties."[2] SB 161 changed this requirement to "at least 5,000 registered voters in the state."[3] The effective date for the changes made in SB 161 was January 1, 2023.[1][3]
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker[edit]
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
The Ballot Bulletin[edit]
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Recent issues[edit]
Click below to view recent issues of The Ballot Bulletin.
- The Ballot Bulletin: November 22, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: November 15, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: November 1, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: October 25, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: October 18, 2024
Subscribe[edit]
Enter your email address below to subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin.
See also[edit]
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Alaska
- Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Alaska
- List of political parties in the United States
- Democratic Party of Alaska
- Republican Party of Alaska
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Alaska Division of Elections, "Political Parties and Groups," accessed January 10, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Alaska State Legislature, "Alaska Statutes AS 15.80.010(26) and (27)," accessed January 10, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Alaska State Legislature, "Enrolled SB 161: Relating to the definition of 'political party'; and providing for an effective date," accessed January 10, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 The Alaska State Legislature, "Alaska Statutes AS 15.80.008," accessed January 10, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Political Parties and Groups in Alaska," accessed May 20, 2024
 |
State of Alaska Juneau (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2024 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
| |||||||||||
EncycloReader
is supported by the 
KSF