Alaska‘s unresolved Senate race is leaving some people online frustrated after Democrat Mary Peltola widened her lead over Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan to more than 10,000 votes. Despite the growing margin, major news outlets have yet to declare a winner, prompting questions from users in an Alaska Reddit community about what is taking so long. While some believe the race should already be over, others are urging patience as election officials continue counting ballots.
According to Alaska Public Media, Peltola received 49.84% of first-choice votes compared to Sullivan’s 46.09%, giving her a lead of 10,412 votes as of November 13. Her campaign has already declared that the Republican has no mathematical path to victory, although the Associated Press has not officially called the election.
The race has also attracted controversy over another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., whose appearance on the ballot prompted allegations that voters could confuse him with the Republican senator. Federal authorities have investigated the circumstances surrounding his candidacy, although Peltola’s lead now exceeds the combined first-choice votes received by both candidates named Sullivan.
Everyone Questions Why the Senate Race Hasn’t Been Called
The latest results have sparked a discussion on Reddit’s r/alaska community, where one user questioned why news outlets remain hesitant to declare a winner despite Peltola’s widening advantage.
“Why still uncalled?” the user asked, arguing that Sullivan would need an overwhelming share of the remaining ballots to catch his Democratic opponent.
However, another commenter pushed back, pointing out that the election is not finished. “49.8 is still not over 50.0 and there are still votes uncounted,” they wrote.
Others expressed frustration with the delay. “Only need 0.160000001% now! Concede now, Dan!” one Reddit user commented in a separate discussion.
Another user argued that patience is necessary, particularly with Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system. “Following the rules of an election always matters, especially one so heavily scrutinized as this one,” they wrote.
Some commenters even poked fun at the unresolved race. “Feel free to call the election OP,” one user joked, before explaining that the results would not become official until the remaining ballots were counted and the election certified.
Under Alaska’s election rules, a candidate who receives more than 50% of first-choice votes wins outright. Otherwise, ranked-choice tabulation determines the winner by reallocating ballots according to voters’ subsequent preferences.
That process is scheduled for November 18 if necessary, with final certification expected November 25.
For now, the growing lead has convinced some Reddit users that the contest is effectively settled, while others insist that the counting process should be allowed to finish before anyone declares victory.
