Alaska Election Results - President, U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress (Interim, Preliminary), November 4 - 5, 2008

Update: (11/5/08 2:30 p.m. PDT) With 99% of the precincts counted in Alaska, Sen. Ted Stevens continues to hold a 1.5% lead over his challenger, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, for Stevens' senate seat. However, as the Anchorage Daily News reports:

With all but three of Alaska's 438 precincts reporting, the Republican Stevens held a 1.5 percent vote advantage over Democrat Begich -- 48 percent to 46.5 percent. About 4,000 votes separate the candidates. The thin margin means the Senate race might not be decided for two weeks.

Still to be counted are roughly 40,000 absentee ballots, with more expected to arrive in the mail, as well as 9,000 uncounted early votes and thousands of questioned ballots. The state Elections Division has up to 15 days after the election to tally all the remaining ballots before finalizing the count.

If the lead holds, Stevens will shock the nation and be the first person ever re-elected to the U.S. Senate after being found guilty on criminal charges. Polls had shown the Republican down by at least 8 percentage points on the day before the election.

After leading significantly in late polls, Ethan Berkowitz (D) has apparently lost his effort to unseat controversial Congressman Don Young (R), who has been Alaska's sole congressman since 1973.

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Update: As of12:22 a.m. AKST, 96.1% of Alaskan precincts have reported, and Sen. Ted Stevens, recently convicted of seven felonies related to ethics violations, appears to be heading to a narrow reelection as Alaska's senior senator.

According to the Alaska Division of Elections, the votes stand as follows:

US SENATOR
		Total
Number of Precincts		438
Precincts Reporting		421	96.1 %
Times Counted		219615/495731	44.3 %
Total Votes		217306
Begich, Mark	DEM	100968	46.46%
Bird, Bob	AI	8788	4.04%
Gianoutsos, Ted	NA	876	0.40%
Haase, Fredrick D.	LIB	1575	0.72%
Stevens, Ted	REP	104564	48.12%
Write-in Votes		535	0.25%

Earlier posts follow.

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Alaska election returns, as of 10:59 p.m. AKST, from the Alaska Division of Elections. Location of precincts "still out" unknown to this writer.

Registered Voters 495731 - Cards Cast 193696 39.07%

Num. Report Precinct 438 - Num. Reporting 316 72.15%

US PRESIDENT Total Number of Precincts 438 Precincts Reporting 316 72.1 % Times Counted 193696/495731 39.1 % Total Votes 193112 Baldwin and Castle AI 957 0.50% Barr and Root LIB 928 0.48% McCain and Palin REP 119161 61.71% Nader and Gonzalez IND 2369 1.23% Obama and Biden DEM 68646 35.55% Write-in Votes 1051 0.54%

US SENATOR Total Number of Precincts 438 Precincts Reporting 316 72.1 % Times Counted 193696/495731 39.1 % Total Votes 191670 Begich, Mark DEM 88284 46.06% Bird, Bob AI 8051 4.20% Gianoutsos, Ted NA 701 0.37% Haase, Fredrick D. LIB 1343 0.70% Stevens, Ted REP 92810 48.42% Write-in Votes 481 0.25%

US REPRESENTATIVE
		Total
Number of Precincts		438
Precincts Reporting		316	72.1 %
Times Counted		193696/495731	39.1 %
Total Votes		191311
Berkowitz, Ethan A.	DEM	84125	43.97%
Wright, Don R.	AI	8205	4.29%
Young, Don E.	REP	98515	51.49%
Write-in Votes		466	0.24%