Alaska Democrats see spike in ballots in the 2020 vote-by-mail primary

Alaska Democratic Party officials announced that the number of ballots received Friday, the cutoff for the state’s vote-by-mail primary, was nearly double the number of votes cast by caucus-goers in 2016.

Jeanne Devon, communications director for the Alaska Democratic Party, said Saturday that that over 19,813 ballots were cast in the mail-in primary, CBS News reported. In the 2016 caucuses, 10,610 Alaska Democrats participated.

Results for the primary are expected around 9 p.m. EST, according to the outlet. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) won the Alaska primary in 2016 against former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Former Vice President Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee for the party this year, after Sanders dropped out of the race earlier this week. 

Biden, Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) all appeared on the state’s ballots, according to CBS News.

The Alaska Democratic Party canceled its in-person primary last month originally scheduled for April 4 over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The deadline for all ballots was extended to April 10 for voters throughout the state.

The Alaska Republican Party canceled its primary in support of President Trump last year, saying that it “would serve no useful purpose.” Alaska was joined by Republican parties in Nevada and South Carolina, among others.

Sanders suspended his presidential bid Wednesday, saying in a live-streamed address to supporters that “I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth. And that is that we are now some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden and the path to victory is virtually impossible.”