The federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will not hear an Alaska elections lawsuit before the Nov. 3 general election, likely eliminating any chance that a judge will require the state to send absentee ballot request forms to all voters ahead of the election.
Any Alaskan can vote absentee by mail, but they must request permission first. The state has an online application form available.
The state sent paper forms to Alaskans 65 and older, but the Disability Law Center of Alaska and several other plaintiffs sued, arguing that the age limit was discriminatory. They sought an order requiring the state to send paper forms to all Alaskans.
That request was denied by an Alaska district court judge, and on Tuesday, the federal appeals court also denied a request for an emergency order ahead of the election.