{"id":38124,"date":"2018-11-05T15:38:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-06T00:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/campaigns-finish-with-final-surge-as-election-day-arrives-in-alaska\/"},"modified":"2018-11-06T11:32:06","modified_gmt":"2018-11-06T20:32:06","slug":"campaigns-finish-with-final-surge-as-election-day-arrives-in-alaska","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/home\/campaigns-finish-with-final-surge-as-election-day-arrives-in-alaska\/","title":{"rendered":"Campaigns finish with final surge as Election Day arrives in Alaska"},"content":{"rendered":"
After a marathon season of door-knocking, advertising and campaigning, it’s time for the final vote.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Alaskans across the state will go to the polls to decide who will replace Bill Walker as the state’s chief executive. They’ll decide if the longest actively serving U.S. Representative will get another term. They’ll decide control of the Alaska Legislature. They’ll pass verdict on judges across the state. And they’ll choose whether or not to support a ballot measure that has become the most expensive state-level campaign in Alaska history.<\/p>\n
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across the state, with first results expected by 9:15 p.m. and last results after 2:30 a.m., the Division of Elections said. The Empire will have a print deadline of 11 p.m. and publish updates online throughout the night. The Empire is also hosting an Election Central gathering at McGivney’s downtown restaurant to watch the results come in.<\/p>\n
“I think tomorrow is going to be crazy,” said voter Kelly Mercer on Monday as she left an early voting station in downtown Juneau’s State Office Building.<\/p>\n
[See the map below to find out your polling place and how to vote]<\/ins><\/p>\n More than 56,000 Alaskans had cast votes before the start of the last day of early voting on Monday, with advance turnout on pace to finish behind only 2014 among state midterm elections.<\/p>\n Tuesday will decide whether turnout tops that year overall. Four years ago, more than 285,000 Alaskans cast votes in the election that legalized recreational marijuana, raised the minimum wage and made Bill Walker the only independent governor in the United States.<\/p>\n Now, Walker has withdrawn from his re-election bid<\/a>, leaving the outcome in doubt between Republican Mike Dunleavy and Democrat Mark Begich. Libertarian candidate Billy Toien is also on the ballot.<\/p>\n The latest polls in the race have shown a tightening race<\/a> between Dunleavy, who has consistently led, and Begich, who surged after Walker’s withdrawal. Walker’s name remains on the ballot, and even though the incumbent said he voted for Begich<\/a>, a sufficient number of Walker votes could spoil Begich’s chance to come from behind.<\/p>\n One of the biggest dividing issues between Dunleavy and Begich is their stance on Ballot Measure 1, which would implement a new law protecting salmon streams. Dunleavy opposes the measure; Begich supports it.<\/p>\n