Voting Today Still Important Despite No Kodiak Races

Jay Barrett/KMXT

There are plenty of reasons to go out and vote in the Primary Election today. Even though there are no contested races locally, there are several statewide offices that will be decided. Ads have saturated newspapers and the commercial airwaves in recent weeks, urging voters to select one or another candidate for governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. House and Senate.

Nova Javier (ha-vee-air) is the Kodiak Island Borough clerk. She’s assisting the state with the election in Kodiak:

— (Election 1 16 sec "There are three … 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.")

Given the transient nature of the population in Kodiak, absentee-in-person voting is also available:

— (Election 2 11 sec "If someone is from out of town … between 8 to 5.")

There will also be a state-run polling place at the Kodiak State Airport for people traveling on election day. What there will NOT be is an "election central" at the borough building tonight, as the results will be sent directing to the state for counting:

— (Election 3 31 sec "They’re going to close the … be available online.")

Local incumbents, Senator Gary Stevens and Representative Alan Austerman, are both running unopposed in the closed Republican primary, and the only Democrat running for anything, Andy Schroeder, is also running unopposed. He will face Austerman in the general election for the District 36 House seat, come November. Stevens will have a free ride back to Juneau, unless a write-in campaign is waged, because he will have no opponent in the general election.

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