Alaska's Senate election results may not be known for three to four weeks due to the state's voting system.
Posted by Ask Dr. Drew, Checked
- Sources
- 3 contradict2 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 55%
Ask Dr. DrewOct 21, 2026
The sources support the core claim that Alaska's ranked-choice system and 15-day ballot window can delay the final Senate result, but they mostly put the delay at about two weeks, not three to four. Certification around Nov. 25 (roughly three weeks after the Nov. 3 election) is the only figure that reaches the claimed range.
Minor detail. The sources confirm the claim; only a minor detail differs, such as a name's spelling, a title's wording or a rounding.
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What was said
… I think, I think we will. Dan Sullivan out there is a good candidate. They tried to play games by putting left put up another guy named Dan Sullivan just to see confuse Republican voters, but it's also interesting that they have that system where they may not know who the winner of the Senate in Alaska is for three weeks, four weeks. So, well, they gotta get people gotta get in their planes with those big tires and fly over to a boat somewhere. I've been to Hankarage, but everybody has these, these planes. It's crazy. Use them like cars. But I guess that was a misattribution. …
Ask Dr. Drew · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. CNN and ABC say it 'might take two weeks' before a winner can be determined, and PBS cites 'a week or two', which is shorter than the claimed three to four weeks.[1][2][3]
Supports. Multiple sources say Alaska's ranked-choice counting and 15-day ballot-receipt window can delay the winner's determination, which supports the core claim that the voting system causes the delay.[1][4][5]
Context. Washington Sun reports 15 days to count ballots and certification by Nov. 25, about three weeks after the election, which partly overlaps the claimed range. Newsweek gives unofficial results by Nov. 18, about two weeks.[4][5]
Context. The claim's 'three to four weeks' is a projection of future timing, so the sources' competing estimates (about two weeks for a winner, about three weeks for certification) are the appropriate measure rather than a fixed fact.[2][4][5]
Sources
5 sources: 1 tier 2, 4 not rated
- 1When will we know 2026 midterm election results? It may take ... - PBSpbs.org · tier 2 · cited for: contradicts, supports
- 2Why the Alaska Senate race could be so slow — and controversial — to decide | CNN Politicsus.cnn.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts, context
- 3Why the Alaska Senate race could be so slowabc17news.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 4Alaska's Senate Results Could Be Excruciatingly Slowwashingtonsun.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 5Senate Control May Come Down to Unique Alaskan Ranked-Choice ...newsweek.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Alaska uses ranked choice voting.True
- The Department of Justice requested that Alaska delay certifying the election if the Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses by a small margin, pending an investigation into voter confusion.True
- The Trump administration filed a lawsuit in federal court in Alaska to block the certification of the Senate race if the Republican candidate loses.True
- The Department of Justice is investigating the recruitment of a spoiler candidate in the Alaska Senate race.True
- The Trump administration sued the state of Alaska and its election officials to stop the certification of the US Senate election if Democrat Mary Peltola wins.True